A Soldier and His Gardevoir
by gsrawson
Summary: Eric, a young soldier serving in the Sinnoh Defense Force meets a kirlia while on a mission to fight Sinnoh's greatest threat. The two must work together to survive, but will the kirlia learn to trust the human?
1. The Mission Begins

**Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic so I hope you all like it! I plan on releasing a new chapter every Friday, and continuing to do so until the story is finished. I don't know how long it will be, but I hope I can make it a decent length while still being interesting. For your convenience, bold lettering is for thoughts and italics are for when p** **okémon are talking to each other. I'm rating this M just to be safe, I don't plan on getting sexually-detailed later but there will be scenes of intense violence and strong language so I'm just leaning on the safe side. Also as a final note, there will be a human/** **p** **okémon relationship later in the story (spoiler), if you're not into that then this will not be the story for you, sorry. Also as a disclaimer, I do not own, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or anything within it. Anyways, with all that out of the way** **thank you and I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 1: The Mission Begins**

"Come on, move it now!" The drill sergeant screamed, "Don't stop! Keep crawling!"

It was two in the morning. The razor wire scraped along the back of Eric's vest. The Unova-born trainee struggled to keep his face out of the mud. Looking to his left and right, he could see the black silhouettes of the other recruits all crawling as well. This was it, the final test before graduating their training. They crawled in the cold mud under razor wire as live bullets were fired mere feet over their heads. Eric looked ahead and could see the objective. A machine gun nest manned by automated turrets, set to only fire above the heads of the recruits. They had to take it out and then secure the "village" behind it.

The objective was still a hundred meters ahead. A hundred more meters of the icy mud and razor wire. Eric spit some mud out and continued crawling. A simulation mortar exploded in a crater ten meters to his right, followed by another fifteen meters to his left. The sounds were deafening. **Just a little closer**. He thought.

He made the cold and painful crawl the rest of the way, to where the razor wire field ended. He jumped up and ran to the first piece of cover. He was right under the first machine gun nest. Its stone walls towered up a dozen feet to the firing window. Flashes of fire coughed out of the gun's muzzle as it spit bullets down range.

"Hahn! Take that nest out now!" One of the other recruits yelled over the gunfire.

Eric nodded and reached for his belt, grabbing a pokeball.

"Arcanine, you're up!" He yelled, tossing the ball.

Arcanine was released, letting out a howl. He was ready. The fire pokemon ran to Eric's side.

"Go and take out that machine gun! Use flamethrower on it!" Eric yelled.

Arcanine nodded, running back a short distance before turning and jumping up into the nest's window. Once he made onto the large open window that spread across its front, Arcanine leaped inside. Moments later flames engulfed the interior of the machine gun nest. Huge licks of flame jetted out the window. The gun went silent.

Eric smiled, happy with the results. Arcanine jumped out of the nest, landing next to Eric. He congratulated his pokemon by patting him on the head and sprinted around the corner to do the same with the next nest. Moments later the second one was knocked out, and the recruits charged into the fake village. Old houses and mobile homes were scattered about, forming the "streets".

Arcanine gleefully jumped up and down as he ran beside Eric. The training exercise was going well. The recruits got to the fake village, and one squad moved into the first house. Seconds later gunfire could be heard. From the other side, opposing forces made of their drill sergeants bore down on them. The opposing force fired stun rounds into the recruits as they rushed the village, who promptly returned fire with their own stun rounds. Eric ran to cover, firing over it at the opposing force.

Arcanine ran for cover as well. Eric saw an opportunity.

"Arcanine, attack again with flamethrower around the enemy! Pin them down so we can get around them!" Eric ordered. The fire pokemon wasted no time, he jumped up and released the inferno. The drill sergeants covered their faces to protect themselves from the heat as they backed up and leaped into cover. Arcanine kept up the heat, then got hit by a hydro pump. The blast knocked the pokemon against the side of a house, knocking him out.

 **Shit!** Eric thought, calling back the fire pokemon. He scanned to see where the attack came from, then saw a Blastoise lumbering towards the recruits, firing its twin cannons and pinning them down. Eric knew he couldn't waste any time. He grabbed another pokeball.

"Raichu! You're next! Take down that Blastoise!" He called out as he threw the pokeball.

The electric mouse was released and jumped right into action. She leaped onto the roof of a house and ran along it, jumping from roof to roof while dodging the Blastoise's attacks. Once she got close enough, she unleashed a powerful thunderbolt. The Blastoise was electrocuted, stumbling backwards in a daze. The Raichu moved in and finished the large pokemon with a quick attack, tackling the Blastoise and sending it into the wall. It tried to get back on its feet, but collapsed.

Raichu stood victorious, then got attacked by thunderbolt that came from the next roof. Eric looked and saw another Raichu. The two mice pokemon dodged each others' attacks and jumped from building to building. Eric knew he shouldn't battle the same pokemon, so he called Raichu back and released his Garchomp. The dual dragon/ground type roared. The Raichu leaped down onto the ground to face its opponent.

"Quick Garchomp, take it out! Use giga impact!" Eric yelled.

The Garchomp charged forward, slamming into the Raichu with everything he had. The enemy Raichu yelped in pain, being thrown through the wall of a house and landing inside it. The Raichu was out cold. With the enemy pokemon out of the way, Eric focused on helping the others clear the streets of the opposing infantry. Soon, it was all over. There was no more gunfire, just silence of the night. They had won.

"Form up!" A drill sergeant yelled. The recruits quickly ran into a formation. Their uniforms were soaked and covered in mud. They were all wore out, but excited to have finally completed their training. They did it.

"Attention!" Another drill sergeant called out. An officer approached the formation. He had blond hair, was muscular and tall. His uniform was pressed neatly and had "Surge" across the name tape.

"Relax recruits." Lt. Surge began, "I was asked to attend this training event to see how you all preformed. You all did exceedingly well tonight. Damn good job out there."

The Lieutenant grinned, his eyes rested on Eric. "You there! Congratulations, you and your pokemon did an excellent job out there. Your Garchomp seemed to make easy work of my Raichu."

Eric saluted, proud of himself.

"Thank you sir!" he said.

Lt. Surge nodded, then returned the formation to its drill sergeants. The lead drill sergeant stood at attention.

"Get on the bus and head back to the barracks. Get your shit cleaned up and get ready for graduation tomorrow! I'm proud of you all. Fall out!" The drill sergeant yelled.

 **Six months later:**

The morning bugles sounded, rousing Eric from his sleep. He looked over at the clock on the barracks wall, 0500. He hated waking up this early, especially on weekends, but a lot has changed since he enlisted with the Sinnoh Defense Force. It was a small military force, and though a war hasn't been fought in several years, he felt it a duty to serve his home. He lost interest capturing and battling pokémon for competition, and had become more interested in doing what he could to protect everything around him.

At one time he aspired to be a great trainer. He had several battles, even winning three gym badges, but hearing about groups like Team Rocket and Team Plasma from other regions, he felt he needed to do more. He felt he needed to take action to protect those around him, including innocent pokémon. So he left his home and enlisted in the Sinnoh Defense Force.

Eric sat up in bed and stretched his arms, yawning. The other guys in the barracks were already milling about, so Eric quickly jumped up and started getting ready for the day. Orders had come down from Command; his unit was to go out and investigate possible criminal activity on Iron Island. Eric, knowing what he did about villainous organizations from other regions, was worried about one operating in Sinnoh, but he was determined to help put them down before anyone, human or pokémon alike, got hurt by them.

"Alright everyone gather around!" yelled out Sergeant Burke, Eric's squad leader. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and listened in to what their Sergeant was about to say.

"I'm sure most of you already have an idea of what we're going to be doing today, but I'm here to fill in any gaps." Sergeant Burke began, "Today we're going over to Iron Island, as you heard we have possible criminal activity that we're going to be dealing with."

Eric sat on his bunk, shaving using a mirror to allow him to see while listening in on his squad leader's speech.

"Our intel shows that these guys are very similar in organization to others in the other regions. Our regional neighbors have had problems with groups like Team Rocket in the past, we won't allow that to happen here." the Sergeant paused for a moment, looking around at his men, "We are to go in, investigate any ciminal presence and take them down if we find it. We know that whatever group this is, they have had some sort of dealings with Team Rocket before, so we know they could be very dangerous. That is why when we head out all of you are to grab a rifle and a fair amount of both live ammo and stun rounds for a less lethal approach if we can. I want everyone outside in five minutes for transport."

"Oorah!" the room yelled in unison. Sergeant Burke smiled, then spun on his heels and walked out of the room. Everyone began grabbing their gear and started out the door. Eric was just finishing up and throwing on his vest when Corporal Joseph Cummings came over and helped him with the vest's straps.

"Ready for today man?" Joe smiled and smacked Eric on the back playfully. Eric smiled and punched his friend in the shoulder.

"You know it, let's get out there and make a difference and protect our people," Eric said, attaching his pokéballs to his gear.

The two ran out of the room and got in line for drawing weapons, when it came their turn the Quartermaster handed them each a Type 89, the standard issue rifle of the Defense Forces and several magazines loaded with ammo.

"The mags wrapped with blue tape are loaded with stun rounds, those are to be used to subdue or scare away hostile pokémon and for other situations not requiring lethal force. Keep in mind I said 'hostile', don't fire at any pokémon unless you or another soldier is directly under attack by one," the Quartermaster stated, clearly bored with her job, "Go ahead and lock a magazine of stun rounds into your rifles, but do not chamber until you get to Iron Island."

Eric and Joe both nodded in acknowledgement to the Quartermaster, slapping a magazine into their rifles. They both walked outside onto the drill yard, and headed to the transport truck where the others waited. Sergeant Burke lit a cigar and took a puff, watching the two young soldiers approach. He felt a swell of pride, it was good to see youth still stepping up to protect others by joining the Defense Force, though he didn't feel it was right to send such young people into something that could prove very dangerous very quickly. He pushed the thought aside.

"Good to have you two show up," chuckled the Sergeant, lightly chewing on the end of the cigar, "Get in the truck, we're heading out now."

Everyone climbed into the transport, and the truck's tarp was drawn over the bed's frame. They needed to get to the coast without raising too much suspicion. They didn't want to cause any alarm with the general population, but they also didn't want to potentially alert the criminals to any possible military activity. The ride was long and bumpy, but within a few hours they made it.

They arrived at a private government dock, a Defense Force transport ship awaited them. The squad wasted no time, they got onto the ship which made way to Iron Island in the distance. Once out in open water, Eric leaned against the side of the ship, looking down into the water. Occasionally he'd see a magikarp beneath of water's surface. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He was a little nervous, maybe it was because this was his first real mission, but he had a feeling deep in his gut that something really bad was going to happen. Joe came over, sensing something was bothering his friend and patted him on the shoulder.

"You ok man? You look nervous," Joe asked.

Eric looked at his friend and smiled, pushing the gut feeling away, "Nothing man, I'm fine, just a little worried about this being my first mission."

Joe laughed, "That's it? Don't worry about a thing dude, You have all of us at your side, and you have your own pokémon to help back you up, we got this."

Eric nodded, then said, "Thanks man, I appreciate it."

A few moments past, Joe pulled out a photo and stared at it. Eric glanced over and saw it was a photo of a girl.

"Your girlfriend?" he asked.

Joe looked at it for another second before putting it away, "Yea, she's a great person. I miss her sometimes, she lives in the Hoenn Region." Eric smiled and nodded, "So when are you going to get a girl of your own Eric?"

Eric chuckled and his gaze dropped back to the water, "I don't know man, I guess I'm just waiting for the right one to come along."

Joe patted Eric on the shoulder again, "Well, whoever she is, she'd going to be very lucky. You're a good guy."

Eric smiled again, "Thanks man."

The ship's horn sounded, they were about to dock at Iron Island. Joe walked away to join the others in the squad. Eric looked at the Island, then grabbed his rifle and began to join up with the others. **Let's do this,** he thought to himself.

 **A few months ago, Iron Island:**

The cage was lowered to the ground, inside it a frightened Gardevior, Gallade and their young Ralts sat huddled together. Other cages containing various pokémon was being lined up for examination. A few Team Rocket grunts watched over the captives as a few Team Galactic members approached. The lead Team Rocket grunt jumped off a cage and walked up to the Team Galactic leader.

"Here they are, as ordered. I'm sure your commander will be pleased with the specimens gathered here" the Team Rocket grunt said with a cruel smile.

The Team Galactic leader, Mars, looked around at the pokémon, seemingly pleased. "Alright then, here's the money, as agreed." She pulled out an envelope and handed it to the Team Rocket grunt.

"Hang on now, see that gardevoir over there? She just hatched a Ralts a few days ago, I think that increases the amount of money we deserve." snickered the grunt, pointing at the cage containing the small pokémon family.

Mars glared at him, then said, "The money is in there, that's what was agreed and that's all your boss is getting."

The grunt looked furious at what Mars said, he and several others pulled out their pokéballs and threatened Team Galactic, "Bullshit, we demand more money, otherwise your boss isn't getting anything."

Mars smiled and glared at the brave grunt, she then chuckled, "Heh, fine then. Have it your way." She snapped her fingers and the Team Galactic members behind her pulled sub-machine guns and gunned down the Team Rocket members before they could react. Gunshots rang out for several seconds, the caged pokémon cowered, trying to avoid being hit. The Gallade pulled the Gardevoir and the little Ralts closer. _It's okay, I have you, I won't let them hurt you._ The Gallade told his mate and child, though it didn't help the Ralts from crying.

Once the firing stopped, the Team Rocket member that defied Mars laid on the ground bleeding out. He coughed up some blood before saying, "You...c-can't do this! When Giovanni finds out!"

Another shot rang out, Mars held a pistol, having just shot the Team Rocket member dead, she put the handgun away, laughing. "Your pathetic leader isn't going to do anything." She looked over at the Team Galactic members, "Well what are you waiting for! Clean up this mess and get these pokémon to the camp!" She yelled. The others scrambled to do their thing, trucks began to pull in to pick up the caged pokémon. Mars watched as her men worked, she smiled to herself and looked up towards the sky. She knew these pokémon would make good additions to the work force, they would be needed for what Team Galactic had planned.

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 **That is it for the first chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it, as this is helping to set up the story for what is to come. If you'd like, please leave me a review, I'll be sure to read any that are posted for me to see, though I must request that no flame reviews are posted. They don't do anything to help me improve and only serve to try to hurt people's feelings and there's no need for it. Otherwise thanks again and I hope to post the next chapter next Friday or maybe sooner! Peace!**


	2. Iron Island

**Hello everyone. I know it's super early but I figured it may be good to release another chapter early to help get the story rolling. From here on out the chapters will be released every Friday. I'm not going to waste anyone's time here, but just for note; bold is for thoughts and italics is for when pokémon talk to each other. I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 2: Iron Island**

The squad stepped off the ship and onto the rocky surface of Iron Island. Eric looked up at the hills ahead of them, realizing that if there was any criminals here, that they could be hiding anywhere. Joe came up beside him and playfully shoulder-checked him, knocking Eric out of his trance.

"Cheer up man, this is going to be cool! Even if there's nothing here, it sure as hell beats doing drills back at the barracks." Joe said, grinning, "Maybe your pokémon will get in a battle or two, god knows it's been forever since they've been in a proper battle."

Eric chuckled, "Yea, sure. It's just going to suck trying to clear these hills, let alone the mines beneath the place."

"Eh, it ain't going to be that bad man, you need to raise your head up!" replied Joe, still grinning. He turned and took off to catch up with the rest. Eric began running to catch up as well. He couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the whole thing.

The squad gathered around Sergeant Burke, who was chewing on the end of his burnt out cigar. He spit it out and crushed it beneath his boot. He was looking at the hills, going over the plan in his head. He looked over to the squad, they seemed ready and determined. He just hope that if things got bad that they would be prepared for it. He pushed his worry to the side for now, what was important was getting this mission started. He reached down and picked up the crushed cigar and shoved it in his calf pocket to throw away later.

"Alright soldiers, everyone good?" He barked.

"Oorah sergeant!" the squad yelled out in unison.

Sergeant Burke nodded, then said, "Good, because this is what we're going to do. The island has been temporarily evacuated until we deem it safe. Earlier yesterday the local pokémon began to act odd and more hostile than normal. Be on the lookout and try not to piss off the wildlife. If we have to fight some use your stun rounds to distract it, and try to use fire or ground types. Most pokémon here are steel-type and are weak against them." He looked at Eric.

The soldiers nodded, acknowledging their squad leader. Eric was glad he brought Arcanine and Garchomp with him, they may prove useful in defending against local pokémon.

Sergeant Burke continued, "Alright, we're going to begin by moving out along the west-side of the island. We'll clear along the hills there and eventually move into the mines. We'll do this by the books and get this done quick. Any questions?"

The squad all shook their heads, Sergeant Burke felt proud of his soldiers already.

"Alright, good. Let's move out!" he waved them on. The soldiers quickly made their way around the first hill, weapons at the ready. Eric made sure his pokéballs were within easy reach, he may need them fast if it all hits the fan.

An hour passed. It was about noon, and even with an overcast of clouds, it was hot. The heat reflected off the rocky ground and made wearing the uniforms miserable. Eric wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a drink from his canteen. They were crossing over another large hill, the point-man was on his stomach crawling up to see over the crest to make sure it was clear. They didn't want to get surprised by anything, so they had to take it safely. Eric looked around at the surroundings, keeping an eye out for anything moving. After a few moments, the point-man looked back at the squad and gave the 'ok', then got up and went over the crest. The rest followed behind, making sure to stay evenly spaced. They kept this up for another hour without seeing anything, not even any local pokémon.

Joe fell back to Eric and leaned in to talk quietly, "This is weird, we haven't seen anything, you'd figure a wild habitat would be crawling with pokémon."

"Yea it's odd." Eric replied, not looking at his friend directly, instead scanning the land around them, "Let's just keep an eye out, I hope whatever this is isn't anything bad."

"Maybe the pokémon are having a get-together and we just weren't invited." said Joe with a grin like he just told the best joke ever. Eric shook his head and shoved his friend back up into formation. "Oh come on it wasn't that bad!"

Eric smiled and couldn't help but laugh quietly at Joe's bad joke. The squad continued on, checking over every hill, in every canyon. This continued for another hour until Sergeant Burke called them down into a small ravine for a quick break.

"Huddle up men! Drink water, rest, take a piss, whatever you gotta do. You got 10 minutes then we head out again." He said.

The soldiers spread out to sit, relax and re-hydrate. A few did some quick stretches and some opened the front of their vests to air out. Eric popped his back, he never quite got used to wearing the vest. He likened it to wearing a door across his chest and back. He plopped down and took a swig from his canteen. He just started to get comfortable when the ground began to shake. Out of nowhere, a Steelix rose out of the ground and roared at the intruding soldiers.

"Look alive!" yelled out Sergeant Burke. The soldiers all jumped up and leveled their rifles at the Steelix, preparing to fire stun rounds if it didn't stand down.

Eric reached for a pokéball, and tossed one out, "Garchomp, you're on!"

Garchomp popped out of his pokéball, looking ready to fight.

"Let's make this quick Garchomp, you got this!" said Eric.

Garchomp nodded, then turned to face the wild Steelix. The Steelix paid no attention to the pokémon, instead focusing on the soldiers. It attacked with a hyper beam. The men narrowly jumped out of the way. They opened fire with their stun rounds. The less lethal rounds proved to not be very effective against the armored pokémon, though it did make the steel serpent flinch from the impacts. This provided a distraction for Eric.

"Garchomp, use dig!" Eric called out, his Garchomp borrowing under the ground's surface. The Steelix turned its attention to Eric and let out a roar that was heard over the gun fire. Sergeant Burke saw what Eric was doing and called for the soldiers to hold their fire.

"Now Garchomp!" Eric yelled. Garchomp came flying up out of the ground directly under the Steelix, knocking it into the air and damaging it. The Steelix was hurt, but regained its composure and attacked the dragon pokémon with iron tail.

Eric yelled out to his pokémon, "Dodge it Garchomp!"

The dragon pokémon ducked and jumped back, narrowly missing the attack.

"Finish it off with Giga Impact!" Eric ordered his pokémon. Garchomp charged the Steelix, slamming into it with full force. The Steelix slammed against the ravine wall. It fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

The soldiers cheered for Garchomp and Eric, who thanked Garchomp before returning him to his pokéball. Sergeant Burke approached Eric, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Good job soldier, and good job to your Garchomp." the sergeant said.

Eric smiled, "Thanks Sergeant."

The Sergeant turned to the others, "Alright, let's get moving. We may have just alerted any enemies to our presence if they don't already know we're here."

The squad nodded in agreement, then quickly got back together in formation and made their way to the next area. Soon after, a gun shot was heard in the distance.

The soldiers paused for a moment, Sergeant Burke motioning them to continue.

"Everyone keep an eye out, it's about to get very interesting."

 **Meanwhile**

The Gardevoir held her Kirlia tight, ducking down behind a rock. The Gallade joined her, the two trying to keep the young Kirlia from crying. They just managed to escape their cells an hour ago, and were trying to evade the Team Galactic grunts that were giving chase. The Gallade tried focusing hard to teleport his family to safety, but whenever he tried his head began pounding. Earlier he took a direct hit from a Team Galactic Graveler using rock throw. It must have caused a head injury.

 _What's wrong?_ Asked the Gardevoir worriedly.

The Gallade rubbed his head, _It's nothing, we just have to focus on getting to safety._ He looked over the rock, seeing if the grunts were close. It seemed clear for the moment. _Come on, let's go._

They jumped up from behind the rock and made their way quickly around the hill. The Gallade tried to use teleport again, but his head started pounding worse. It caused him to drop to his knees.

 _Dad!_ Cried out the little Kirlia. The gardevoir stopped to help him up, but the Gallade gently pushed her away.

 _No, you two need to keep going, leave me here and forget about me! I'll try to distract them._ He said, panting heavily, holding his head in pain.

 _No! I refuse to leave you behind! I won't let you get yourself killed!_ The gardevoir told him, tears building up in her big red eyes.

"Check over there! They couldn't have gone far!" a voice was heard yelling. The Gallade looked behind them and then shoved the Gardevoir away. _Get out of here! Go!_

The Gardevoir stood still for a moment, holding back her tears, but then remembered she had to get her daughter to safety. The Gardevoir leaned in and kissed her mate deeply, before separating. _I love you._ She said.

 _I love you too...now run..._ Said the Gallade, turning to face where the Team Galactic grunts could be heard running.

The Gardevoir quickly carried her Kirlia around the next turn, then stopped herself to try to teleport further away. She could barely focus, the fear of losing her mate was too much. She just hunkered down behind another rock to collect her thoughts before trying again to teleport. She held the Kirlia tight, the young pokémon shook in fear.

 _Mom? Is dad going to be ok?_ She asked.

Her mom kissed her on the forehead, trying to reassure her, but she couldn't hide her own fears. Gunshots could be heard in the distance behind them, followed by a loud roar. They then heard yelling from around the corner, her mate had been found. She gathered the courage to look around the corner. The Gallade stood in a defensive position, a short distance away stood several Team Galactic grunts, in front of them was a Gengar.

 _You disappoint Team Galactic, little Gallade. I don't intend on letting you walk away from this._ Sneered the Gengar, smiling wickedly at the pokémon.

The Gallade took a step forward, _Just leave us alone! We just want to be free!_ He yelled back to the ghost pokémon.

"Gengar, don't waste any time, use shadow punch!" yelled one of the grunts. The Gengar rushed forward, its fist covered in shadow. The Gallade tries to dodge it, but to no avail. It connected, and it felt like his insides got wrenched around.

The Gardevoir gasps seeing her mate take a hard hit. She notices her daughter trying to see as well, but pulls her back. She doesn't want her to watch. She doesn't want to see it herself, but can't look away. She continues to watch as the little Kirlia peeks back around, worried about her father.

The Gallade recoils from the hit but regains his footing. He then dashed forward, using close combat. He gets in a few hits, but it barely hurt the ghost pokémon.

"Gengar, use shadow ball!" ordered the grunt. Gengar jumps back, creating distance and then threw a shadow ball. It hit, knocking the Gallade back and onto the ground. He could barely move. He must get up, he must keep fighting.

"Don't give that waste of life a chance, use Dark Pulse!" called out the grunt again. Gengar released an aura that hit the gallade, stunning him and further incapacitating him.

 _No! No! Get up now!_ Yelled the Gardevoir, covering her mouth to keep her crying from being heard. A red-headed Team Galactic member walked out from behind the other grunts. She smiled evilly to herself as she approached the wounded Gallade.

"Pathetic, you don't even deserve to live," said the red-head. Another grunt walked up, charging his rifle. He put the muzzle to the Gallade's head. The pokémon braced for his death. The grunt fired a single shot, ending the Gallade's life.

The Gardevoir couldn't handle seeing what she just saw, she broke down crying, pulling her and her Kirlia back around the corner. She collapsed to the ground, trying to regain her composure. The Kirlia just sat there, wide-eyed, she couldn't think straight. Her dad was just murdered. **Why does this have to happen to us? What did we do to deserve this hatred from humans?** She thought to herself. Her mother stood back up, still holding her daughter.

 _W-we, have to go now, we have to get as far away as we can!_ She told her young one. As she turned to run, she blacked out, falling to the ground. She was hit in the back of the head by a Graveler, which laughed at the Gardevoir's pain. The Kirlia panicked, seeing her mother lying unconscious. The Graveler reached for her, but she cried out. The Graveler glowed with an aura, having been grabbed by the Kirlia's psychic move. The young one slammed the rock pokémon against the hill-side over and over before tossing him away. She heard the grunts running towards them, so she grabbed onto her mother and thought as hard as she could. She teleported them both, but they found themselves still on the island.

The Gardevoir regained consciousness and looked around, noticing they were in a different spot. She hugged her daughter, thanking her for getting them somewhere safer. They both knew they weren't out of it yet, and that Team Galactic would be searching every square inch of the island looking for them. They got up and started to run again.

"Ma'am the kirlia and gardevoir teleported!" a Team Galactic grunt reported to Mars, who smacked him. Her mouth curled into a sneer.

"Dammit! Find them! They couldn't have gone far, the Gardevoir is too weak and the Kirlia can't teleport that well," she said. The grunts split up, searching the hills for the two pokémon. Another grunt approached her.

"Ma'am, did you hear those gunshots? We don't have anyone on that part of the island." He said.

"I'm aware of that." She replied, now grinning, "It sounds like we have some guests."

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 **That is it for Chapter 2, I hope you all enjoyed it! Once again reviews are welcomed, flame reviews are not as they don't help me improve and only serve to troll writers. I hope everyone likes the direction I'm taking this. I thought a more violent approach to the usual stories would be pretty interesting, hopefully you all agree! Anyways I'll see you all in the next chapter, peace!**


	3. Fateful Meeting

**Hey everyone it's Friday! No special notes today, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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 **Chapter 3: Fateful Meeting**

The Gardevoir's head still hurt, but she put the pain aside. She needed to figure out where they were, and then find a way off the island. She looked down at her daughter. The Kirlia held tight onto her leg, shaking from fear and having just saw her father being murdered. The loss of her father, and the Gardevoir's mate, took a major toll on both of them. Despite it though the brave mother was certain to protect her daughter and get them both to safety. She couldn't let her love's sacrifice be in vain.

The afternoon sun shone between the clouds, making the heat from the rocks beneath them even more miserable. The mother reached into the leather pouch she stole from Team Galactic before escaping and pulled out a bottle of water. She opened and handed it to the little kirlia. _It's hot out here, please drink this ok?_

The Kirlia reached for the bottle, her arms trembling. Once she took hold of it she drank most of the water. She handed it back to her mother, trying to put on a smile. _Thanks momma._

A faint smile appeared on the Gardevoir's face, her young one was being brave given the circumstances. She put the bottle away and then took the Kirlia's hand, and the two began walking through the ravine and then up a tall hill. They had to get to a higher area to get an idea of their location. Once at the top she noticed they could see for a good distance. She tried to keep her head low as to not attract too much attention, Team Galactic could have grunts anywhere. She knew they'd be searching up and down trying to find them. She scanned the area for a few moments, it only seemed like more and more hills in every direction. She knew the island was fairly small, but from where she was at, it felt huge.

 _Mom, who are they?_ The Kirlia asked, pointing at something off in the distance.

The Gardevoir looked, shading her eyes from the sun with her hand to see better. In the distance, only another ravine away, there was a line of humans moving along. About eight of them, all wearing the same green and brown speckled clothing. They were carrying weapons, similar to what was used to kill her mate. The one in the middle of the line stopped and let the others pass him. The Gardevoir panicked and jumped down into cover, pulling her daughter with her. **Did they see us?** She thought. She began to tremble as she slowly looked back over the top of the hill. The humans were moving away, they didn't seem to notice the two pokemon only a hundred yards behind them. **Who are these humans?** She wondered to herself. **Is this another group of their grunts trying to hunt us?** The thought sent a shiver down her spine. These humans seemed armed to the teeth. **Why do they want us? Why?** She asked herself, feeling a lump in her throat. She couldn't let her or her daughter be found. They needed to escape.

 _Mom?_ The Kirlia asked again, a worried tone creeping in her voice as she tugged on her mother's white dress.

The Gardevoir looked down at her daughter, and wiped away her tears. She needed to stay strong for her baby.

 _I don't know sweetheart, but we can't let them see us okay?_ She replied. The Kirlia's gaze dropped to the ground, her voice choking up.

 _Mom...why to humans hate us? Why are they doing this?_ She asked, tears falling to the ground.

The mother pulled the Kirlia into a tight hug. She kissed her on the cheek. _I...don't know...But I do know we'll make it out of here. We'll make it through this._ She looked into her young one's eyes. She reached out and wiped away her daughter's tears.

 _Now come on, we have to keep moving._ She said.

The two continued on for a short while, then the Gardevoir heard something in the distance behind them. It sounded like wings flapping in the wind. She pulled herself and the Kirlia behind a rock and up against the hillside. Seconds later, a Charizard flew directly over them, then past the next hill. She could hear the Charizard give out a roar, followed by what sounded like a flamethrower attack, then by yelling and gunfire. She could hear pokemon being deployed. There was a battle going on close. The Gardevoir grabbed up her Kirlia into her arms and began to run. She could see a cave entrance in the distance. Maybe they could hide there for a moment. She kept running, getting closer and closer to the cave, but then two Team Galactic grunts cut them off.

"There's the bitch and her runt!" one yelled.

"Let's fucking kill these two quick and then we can finish off those other assholes!" said the other.

 **Others?** The gardevoir quickly wondered to herself.

The first one tossed a pokeball, releasing a skuntank. The other leveled his rifle, taking aim at the psychic pokemon.

 _Ready to die Gardevoir?_ Sneered the Skuntank, preparing to attack.

"Quick skuntank, use acid spray!" ordered the Team Galactic member.

The Skuntank released a large spray of acid, the Gardevoir jumped out of the way as fast as she could while holding her daughter, successfully dodging the attack. She then reached out with both hands, her Kirlia getting behind her to take cover as her mother threw a shadow ball. It hit the Skuntank and blew it back several yards in pain. The Gardevoir's head began pounding again from using her powers, causing her to go dizzy for several moments, but she ignored it. She must protect her daughter. The mother's eyes then began glowing as she used psychic to grab both Team Galactic grunts, picking them up and slamming them against the wall. She then grabbed her daughter and began running for the cave, her head pounding worse than ever.

"Ugh, fuck!" screamed one of the grunts, recovering from the hit.

"Shoot that bitch!" yelled the other, grabbing his rifle off the ground. He brought it up and fired several rounds. One managed to find it's target, hitting the Gardevoir in the shoulder.

She yelled out, grabbing her shoulder. Tears formed in her eyes from the searing pain.

 _Mom!_ Screamed the Kirlia, terrified for her mother. The Gardevoir held her closer and tried teleporting again, but couldn't due to her head injury. She kept running, and made it to the cave. They ran around the corner and further into the tunnels. She could hear the two grunts running after them, their Skuntank giving chase as well.

The two pokemon rounded the next corner and found themselves at a dead end. **Oh god** **no! What do we do!** The Gardevoir quickly scanned the tunnel, but found no way out. She turned around, putting her Kirlia behind her. **I can't let them hurt my baby.** That's all she could think. Her shoulder hurt worse, she could feel blood running down her arm.

 _You need to try to teleport, I can't do it, I'm too hurt._ She said to her daughter. She didn't want to put so much on her, but they needed to teleport again to get to safety.

The Kirlia held on to her mom and focused as hard as she could, but she found herself too scared to focus enough. _Mom I can't do it!_

The Gardevoir grimaced in pain from her injured shoulder and head. She knew her daughter was trying, but she feared they were going to die. The two grunts rounded the corner slowly, the Skuntank between them. They appeared winded.

"Ugh...enough! This is where you both die!" said one of the grunts, "Skuntank, use dark pulse!"

The Skuntank released an aura of darkness, which hit the Gardevoir, knocking her to the ground.

 _Mom! No!_ The kirlia yelled, crying uncontrollably. She couldn't lose her mom, not after already losing her dad.

The Gardevoir weakly got back to her feet, then tried to grab the Skuntank with psychic, but she didn't have the strength left.

"Finish her skuntank, use giga impact," sneered the grunt, ordering his Skuntank to kill the pokemon.

Skuntank charged forward, but then got grabbed in a powerful aura. It seemed shocked, how could the weak Gardevoir do this? It then looked past the hurt pokemon. It was instead the Kirlia, her eyes were glowing as she moved to her mother's side.

 _LEAVE US ALONE!_ She screamed, repeatedly smashing the Skuntank against the floor and ceiling of the cave. She eventually threw it hard against the wall, it was unconscious with several broken bones. The Team Galactic member pulled it back into his pokeball, fuming with anger.

"You little bitch!" he yelled, bringing up his rifle. He aimed for the kirlia, and fired.

The Kirlia stood in shock, too late to move. Then, her mother jumped in the way as fast as she could, being hit instead. Several bullets lodged itself deep in the Gardevoir's chest, who collapsed again to the ground. The little Kirlia dropped to her knees, holding her mom, tears streaming from her face.

 _Mom...please don't die...please..._ She pleaded, trembling again with fear of losing her last parent. The Gardevoir looked at her daughter, a small trickle of blood beginning to run from her mouth. She reached up and cupped the Kirlia's face in her hand, she felt herself getting weaker. The Kirlia started sobbing.

 _No, mom! No, don't die!_ She cried out. Her sobbing echoed throughout the cave. She heard the grunts taking a step closer. She looked up at them with tears streaming down her face. **Why?** Was all she could think.

Both grunts took aim, ready to kill the two pokemon. Gunshots rang out...but it wasn't from the grunts. Splats of blood shot out of both Team Galactic members, who dropped to the ground dead. Behind them was another human, his clothing tattered and with spots of blood covering him. The human just stood there staring at them. The Kirlia couldn't move, only staring back at the human, thinking she was next to die. She squeezed her mother's arm, who faintly looked at the human as well. The Gardevoir tried moving, tried to protect her baby, but was too hurt to do anything. The Kirlia thought of trying to teleport, but couldn't focus hard enough to get both her and her mom away. She looked down and squeezed her eyes shut, and braced for death...but it didn't come. She slowly opened her eyes and looked back up at the human.

The human walked forward, slinging his weapon. He knelt down next to the Gardevoir. He felt her neck with two fingers, then reached down and gingerly lifted the wounded pokemon. He then looked at the Kirlia with a look of sadness.

"I need to take her to get help now. Follow me, I promise to protect you." he said, before turning around.

 **Earlier**

The gunshot they had heard earlier worried Eric, there was definitely something wrong here. He felt much more alert than he ever had before, with his heart beginning to race. He tightly pulled his rifle to his shoulder. He also felt to make sure his pokeballs were still attached to his vest. He felt he's going to need his pokemon more than ever. He trusted them, and he knew they had his back no matter what. He was just worried about them getting hurt if things got violent.

The squad continued moving towards where they think the shot came from. It was hard to tell since the shot rang off every hill and rock, almost making it sound like it came from everywhere at once. Everyone seemed tense, even the veteran Sergeant Burke seemed to not be at ease. The Sergeant wasn't worried about himself, he was never worried about dying. Instead it was the young men under his command that he worried about. Hearing that shot only confirmed what had been speculated, there were enemies here. They had to find them and eliminate the threat.

As the soldiers moved quickly through a ravine, Sergeant Burke looked around at his men. They were scanning their surroundings for any signs of movement. Burke stopped and let the soldiers behind him pass, he wanted to take up the rear so he could watch the entire line. Once he was in the back, he looked around for another second. As he scanned the tops of the hills around them he caught a glimpse of something. It looked like a flash of green over a hill about a hundred yards away, but he barely saw it. He stared at the hill for another moment before turning and continuing along with the others.

About 10 minutes passed. The heat was getting unbearable. Several of the soldiers quickly took swings from their canteens, beads of sweat running down their faces. Their uniforms were damp from the sweating. Sergeant Burke thought about having them stop to try and rest again, the hills had gone quiet once more. Part of him thought it was a good thing, but he couldn't help but have a feeling that the silence meant something bad. He was about to say something to the squad when something big could be heard flying their way. Everyone stopped in their tracks and all eyes went to the sky. That's when Burke saw people jumping up from over hill tops, they all wore silver and black clothing. A Charizard swooped down and let out a roar before attacking the soldiers with flamethrower.

"Everyone take cover!" Sergeant Burke yelled out. The soldiers scattered in every direction to different pieces of cover. One unlucky soldier, Private Hennick, got hit by the flamethrower and burst into flames. He began screaming as he threw himself onto the ground, rolling around trying to put out the fire. Corporal Ando ran out to try to help his comrade, but got struck by gunfire coming from the hillside. Ando was hit several times in the arm, and one hit him in the neck. Blood spurted out as he clutched his neck and dropped to the ground, his eyes wide in fear.

"Return fire! Return fire!" Sergeant Burke screamed as he took aim at some of the unknown enemies. He sprayed rounds at them, and he could see others pouring over the top of the hill. **There has to be several dozen of them!** He thought to himself.

Several of the enemies tossed pokeballs, releasing a Gyarados, Skuntank, and Manetric. The pokemon roared and growled at the intruders. The Charizard reappeared over the hill and was ready for another attack run. Eric was in cover as he saw the pokemon being released. He quickly reached for his own pokeballs and threw all three out.

"Garchomp! Gyarados! Raichu! It's all you guys!" Eric yelled as his pokemon deployed.

The three emerged form their pokeballs, looking determined. They stared down the hostile pokemon that their enemy had deployed. The enemy Charizard swooped to attack Eric's pokemon, attacking again with flamethrower.

"Guys dodge it!" Eric called out, his three pokemon moving out of the way of the fiery attack, "Gyarados, use hydro pump on charizard, knock it out of the sky! Raichu, use thunderbolt on their gyarados and Garchomp target their manetric with brick break!"

His pokemon leaped into action. His Gyarados fired his hydro pump, and hit the Charizard. The fire pokemon fell to the ground with a hard thump, hurt by both the water attack and the fall, but it slowly rose to its feet. Meanwhile, Raichu shot off a powerful thunderbolt, hitting and electrocuting the enemy Gyarados. Garchomp rushed forward, but the Manetric leaped out of the way and their Skuntank countered with giga impact. Garchomp was hit hard, and flew back from the hit.

Eric winced when he saw his Garchomp hit, but stayed determined to knock out the enemy pokemon. A bullet hit next to him, he flinched and returned fire. He looked back at his pokemon and was relieved to see Garchomp back up, ready to continue. The enemy Charizard was back up, and charged his Raichu with slash. The mouse pokemon tried jumping out of the way, but still got hit. The Raichu seemed hurt but fought through it. Then a bullet fired from their enemy hit the electric pokemon and badly injured her.

"Raichu!" Eric screamed, running out of cover to help his pokemon. He fired his rifle up at the hillside, trying to pin the enemy down as he made his way to Raichu. His other pokemon moved to protect their trainer from the hostile pokemon, each one attacking. Eric got to his Raichu and picked her up. She was hurt, but the wound didn't seem life threatening. Raichu looked at her trainer and looked like she had disappointed her master. Eric smiled at her, reassuring her that she would be okay, and then returned her to her pokeball. He looked back up and began firing again at the enemy soldiers in the hills.

"Fall back, we have to fall back!" yelled Sergeant Burke, before being hit in the shoulder and falling to the ground. He quickly jumped back up and started to run, pulling a nearby wounded soldier with him.

Eric stopped and looked at his squad leader, then looked back at the chaos he just then realized was being unfolded around him. Half a dozen more enemy pokemon was being tossed out, there was too many to handle. The enemy Manetric fired off a thunderbolt, hitting his Gyarados. Meanwhile his Garchomp was being attacked by several pokemon at once. Eric kept looking around, froze and not knowing what to do. He saw several of his fellow soldiers laying on the ground in the distance, not moving. He still couldn't find himself to move until Joe grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing! We gotta get out of here, we're badly outnumbered!" he yelled at Eric, shaking sense into him.

Eric snapped out of his trance and jumped up, once again firing at the enemy. He pulled out his pokeballs and returned his pokemon before they could be seriously hurt. He then turned and ran, following Joe. The two ran as fast as they could, plumes of dust kicking up where bullets hit around them. Occasionally they would turn and fire to keep the enemy pinned. They ran around the corner into another ravine, and they continued running until they couldn't breathe anymore. The two soldiers stopped to catch their breaths.

"I...I think...we're ok for now." said Joe, breathing heavily. He looked over at Eric and began to look him up and down, looking for any signs of injury, "Are you ok man?"

Eric panted for a few moments before responding, "I think so, what about you?"

Joe shook his head, looking around, "I'm fine...don't worry about me...we gotta find out where we are."

"Yea, and we have to find Sergeant," responding Eric. He hoped Sergeant Burke and the others were ok.

The two caught their breaths and started running again, they had to get further away from the enemy. The gunfire behind them had stopped, they knew that couldn't be good. They ran alongside a tall ravine wall, and then spotted a cave entrance ahead. Joe and Eric got within a few dozen yards before hearing a few shots being fired and then movement heading that way. They both hunkered down behind a rock and watched as a wounded Gardevoir holding a Kirlia moved fast into the cave.

"What the hell?" Joe asked. They jumped up and started to run to the cave when two of the enemy soldiers came sprinting into view, followed by a Skuntank. The two grunts and their pokemon came to a halt and opened fire on Eric and Joe. The Skuntank attacked them with poison gas. Eric jumped back into cover, and was about to return fire when he noticed that the shooting had already stopped. He paused for a second before looking over his piece of cover, the enemy was gone. He breathed a sigh of relief before freezing up with fear. Joe was laying face-down on the ground, blood pooling under him. Eric jumped up and ran to his friend, he was panicking. **No, no, no, no!** He was screaming in his head. He knelt down and flipped his friend over, Joe was barely still conscious.

"Joe! Joe stay with me!" Eric yelled, choking up. Joe began coughing uncontrollably, blood running out of his mouth. Once he controlled his coughing, he looked weakly at Eric.

"What the hell are you doing crying?" He said, breaking into a fake smile, "I'll be fine...I just got to take a sec to rest..."

Tears began building up in Eric's eyes. It hurt him to see his childhood friend like this, "You're hurt Joe...I need to get you to safety."

Eric started to lift Joe up, but Joe pushed Eric away, shaking his head.

"No man...I'm done...I'm sorry." He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a blood-covered letter, "Here, give this to my girl ok?"

Eric shook his head, "No, you're giving it to her, you're going to make it."

Joe chuckled, but then groaned in pain, "Heh...ow...leave me here man, I'm only going to weigh you down...I'm done."

Eric's tears started falling from his cheeks as he held his dying friend.

"Go...now...go and kick their ass..." Joe took his last breath before passing away in Eric's arms. Eric stared at his friend's face, sobbing quietly to himself. He slowly lowered Joe's body to the ground. He saw that they both were covered in Joe's blood. He went to say his goodbyes when he heard a gunshot come from the cave.

He jumped up, wanting to avenge his friend. He ran as quick as he could into the cave. He ran around a corner and saw the two grunts cornering the two pokemon he saw earlier. The Gardevoir appeared badly hurt on the ground as her Kirlia was crying over her body. The two enemy soldiers were aiming at the innocent pokemon.

Eric didn't give them the chance to fire. He brought up his rifle and sprayed both of them with bullets, the two dropped dead. He slowly started walking over to the Kirlia and the wounded Gardevoir, stepping over the bodies of the two enemies. The Kirlia looked terrified; she slowly looked up at Eric with tears streaming down her face. The Gardevoir slowly looked at him and appeared to try to move, but couldn't due to her injuries. He slung his rifle and got down on one knee to check the Gardevoir's pulse. It was weak, but there. He slowly and carefully lifted the fairy pokemon into his arms, looking at the Kirlia.

He may have looked disheartened, but he knew he needed to try to help them.

"I need to take her to get help now. Follow me, I promise to protect you." he said, before turning around to walk out of the cave.

* * *

 **Wooo! There's chapter three done! I hope you guys really liked the dual-perspective deal in this one. I like the idea of showing both sides as they happen. I also hope everyone likes where I'm still going with this story, like I've said before I enjoy more dark/gritty stuff and twists to the original universe, so I hope you all agree! Anyways I'll see you all next Friday with chapter four! Peace out!**


	4. Rendezvous

**It's time for the next chapter! Eric has finally met the wounded gardevior and her kirlia, but now they have to find the rest of the squad and escape Iron Island. Will they be successful? Let's find out in this chapter, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Rendezvous**

Eric held the wounded Gardevoir in his arms. He looked down at her. Her eyes were barely open, looking back at him. He had never seen a Gardevoir in person before. They were just as beautiful as he saw on TV and in nature articles. She was still breathing, but it was slow and shallow. He needed to get her to help immediately. He began to walk away when the gardevoir glowed in an aura and was slowly being lifted out of his grasp.

The soldier turned and saw the Kirlia behind him, her eyes faintly glowing. She was trying to take her mother back from him. She didn't seem to understand what he was tying to do, or maybe it was that she didn't trust him. The pokemon had tears streaming down her face. Eric could only imagine what these two had been through, but he refused to let go of the Gardevior. He knew they were psychic pokemon, mind readers. He had to make it clear he meant them no harm.

"Please," Eric began, looking at the Kirlia in her eyes, "I want to help, she's hurt bad. I will get her the help she needs."

The Kirlia paused, looking up at Eric. She was shaking. Her psychic grip loosened slightly, but then tightened again as she tried to take her mother out of Eric's arms. Eric mentally pleaded with the pokemon, and the Kirlia weakened her grip once more. She was looking at her mom, her mother was looking back at her. The two seemed to be talking telepathically.

 _No, the human means what he says._ The Gardevoir spoke to her daughter. The Kirlia shook her head.

 _I don't want to lose you...I can't trust him...what if he tries to kill us?_ The Kirlia responded, trying again to take back her mom.

The Gardevoir's eyes glowed slightly, the Kirlia's grip being weakened by the psychic move. _Listen, please. You must trust me okay? I can sense his intents. He is different from the others. Please, my sweet child, let him help us._

The young pokemon stood still for a moment, trembling. She was so scared to lose her mother. She did not want to be alone. After another second, she slowly nodded.

The Gardevoir smiled faintly, _Thank you. Please follow and stay close._

Eric watched the silent exchange between the mother and daughter. After a few quiet moments, the Gardevoir looked back at Eric and nodded at him. Her eyes then closed as her breathing got weaker. They needed to go now.

The soldier shifted the pokemon's weight in his arms as he reached for a pokeball. He held it out and pressed the button, releasing Garchomp. The dragon-type seemed wore out a bit, but otherwise was ready to help his master. The Kirlia seemed frightened at the sight of Eric's pokemon, but stayed calm.

"Garchomp, I need you to escort us. Make sure we don't walk into any traps, so keep an eye out. We have to find Sgt. Burke." Eric ordered.

Garchomp nodded, knowing what to do. Part of the training Eric went through involved escort practice using his pokemon. Garchomp had trained often with his master and knew exactly what to do in these situations. The dragon-type went ahead, making sure the coast outside the cave was clear. He looked back at Eric and gave out a short snort-like noise, signalling all was clear for now.

Eric walked out of the cave, pausing to look down at the Gardevoir and further assessing her injuries. Her wounds were worse than he thought, now that he could see them in the sunlight. He needed to try to patch her up now in order to hold her over until they got to help, but he didn't have any medical supplies. He needed to think quickly, and then he remembered. When trying to run from enemy he remembered seeing the squad's medic, Corporal Ando, killed in the gunfire. It hurt to think of his fallen brothers, but he needed those medical supplies. The group began to make their way to the battle site. As they passed Joe's body, Eric refused to look at him, feeling his heart sink once more. He couldn't bare to look. The Kirlia, on the other hand, stared at the corpse as they walked by. She looked curiously back at the human carrying her mother, taking note of the human's emotions.

The group neared the site of the battle between the Defense Force and Team Galactic. Eric knelt down and shifted the Gardevoir's weight again in his arms. He looked to Garchomp, who nodded and slowly went ahead. After a few moments, the pokemon returned. Garchomp nodded again, telling Eric it was good to go. He slowly laid the Gardevoir onto the ground.

"Garchomp, stay here. I'm going to get the medical supplies." He said, patting Garchomp on the head.

He quickly ran around the corner. He scanned the hills around him, it was still clear it seemed. He looked ahead into the open and saw Corporal Ando still laying. He moved as fast and as low as he could over to his dead comrade. When Eric reached him, he saw that Ando was looking up at the sky, his eyes still wide open. His mouth was gaping as if still in shock. Both hands were clutched to his neck. He was covered in his own blood.

Eric suppressed the sick feeling in his stomach at the sight. He quickly removed Ando's medical bag.

"Thank you brother, please rest easy..." he said, his voice trailing off. He reached out and gently closed Ando's eyes. Eric then ran back across the open, looking around for any signs of movement.

He made it back to the others. Garchomp was keeping lookout behind them. The Kirlia was kneeling on the ground next to her mother, they were looking at each other. Eric dropped to his knees next to the Gardevoir and opened the medical bag. He retrieved bandages and medicine spray from the bag. He began using the medicine, spraying the pokemon's wounds. The wounded mother winced in pain at the potion's sting. The Kirlia seemed alarmed at first at her mother's pain, but stayed calm when she saw the Gardevoir continued to lay still. Eric knew it must have hurt, but she needed it. He quickly prepared the bandages and grabbed gauze out of the bag.

He began to stuff the wounds with gauze to stop the bleeding, but he didn't have enough. He did the best he could before beginning to wrap the wounds with the bandages. It was hard wrapping the wounds on her chest. The large, blade-like protrusion from her chest seemed in the way of a tight bandage. He was trying the best he could, but no matter how tight the gauze or bandages were, the bleeding wouldn't stop. He began to panic, he was trying, but he couldn't help but feel helpless trying to save the pokemon. He knew they didn't have time to get to a pokecenter, they were too far away. He thought if he could patch her up that she'd have a chance. He felt that hope quickly fading away.

Eric began to choke up again as he tried to make the bandages tighter. He searched the bag for more gauze, but there wasn't any more. The panic feeling got worse, he didn't want to fail another soul. He clenched his eyes shut, fighting back tears. Then he felt a hand gently grab his arm. Eric opened his eyes and saw a three-fingered green hand gripping him; it was the Gardevoir. He looked at her face and into her large red eyes. They sparkled, tears of pain collected in the corners. She smiled though, as if to try to comfort him.

The Gardevoir fought through the pain. She looked into the soldier's eyes. She knew he was trying to save her, that he wanted to save her. She also knew she couldn't be saved. She was dying. She looked over at her daughter. The Kirlia was trembling.

 _My sweet daughter._ The Gardevoir said weakly, smiling through the pain. _May you have many years ahead of you._

 _Mom?_ Questioned the Kirlia. She reached out and held her mother's hand. The Gardevoir squeezed it, then let go.

 _My time in this life is done my loving child._ The Gardevoir said, reaching up and stroking her daughter's cheek. _You must go now, please. Go and live your life._

The Kirlia shook her head, she didn't want to believe her mom was dying. _No mom...I don't want to lose you..._

The Gardevoir smiled a little more, wiping the Kirlia's tears away.

 _I will never leave you. I promise to always be there for you in spirit. I will always watch over you darling._ The Gardevoir could feel herself slipping away. The bright red of her eyes beginning to fade. _Now please...go...me and your daddy will always be with you...I love you sweetheart._

The Kirlia stared at her mother as her life left her. The Gardevoir's eyes faded in color and closed. Her breathing stopped. The young pokemon just kept staring at her mom, she didn't want to believe she was dead. She felt alone, she had nobody left. She broke down crying.

Eric looked down at the pokemon's body, he had failed. He felt himself break apart on the inside. **Dammit!** He yelled in his head. He felt a lump in his throat. Garchomp slowly came over and rubbed his head against Eric's shoulder. He patted Garchomp on the head, he knew that the dragon pokemon was trying to make him feel better. He looked at the Kirlia, who was sobbing over her mother. He could only imagine the pain she felt. After a few moments, the Kirlia looked up at Eric. The two locked eyes for a moment. She then teleported in a flash of light.

Eric jumped up, shocked at what the pokemon did. He needed to find her, there was still bound to be enemies all over the island. He knew they wanted to hurt her, and he was bound to keep his promise to protect her.

"Garchomp! Help me find her! I can't let her get hurt!" Eric said. Garchomp nodded in agreement and began to use his hammerhead-like horns to sense for the Kirlia. The two began to make their way towards where Garchomp sensed the Kirlia went.

Eric unslung his rifle and shouldered it. He let his pokemon lead the way. His heart was pounding. He could feel sweat run down his face and neck. He ignored the heat of the rocks beneath him and continued, almost in a run. The two crossed up and over several hills and through multiple ravines following Garchomp's senses. Eric took a quick swig from his canteen and noticed it was almost empty. He put it back and continued to run when a Steelix burst from the ground.

"Shit! We don't have time for this!" Eric yelled out, rifle at the ready. He remembered he didn't have stun rounds loaded. He had swapped it for live rounds when he engaged the enemy soldiers earlier.

Garchomp let out a roar and waved for Eric to go on and let him deal with the Steelix. Eric stood still for a moment, not wanting to leave Garchomp. He knew as a part dragon he would be weak against the steel-type, though it wouldn't be the first time he won since he WAS part ground as well. He did defeat one earlier that day too. Still he worried though.

"No way in hell am I leaving you!" Eric called out, refusing to leave his pokemon. The Garchomp just looked back at him and let out another roar, telling him to just go and that he could handle it. Garchomp then charged forward at the Steelix. The steel pokemon charged a hyper beam but was hit with a giga impact before it could attack. The Garchomp smashed the Steelix against the ravine wall, sending dust everywhere and obscuring Eric's view.

Eric wanted to stay and help his pokemon, but then heard another battle happening just over in the next ravine. He wished his pokemon luck and turned to run towards the sounds of the fighting in the distance. Upon coming up to the edge of the top of the steep ravine wall, he looked down into it and saw the Kirlia. She was surrounded by several pokemon being used by the enemy. Their grunts also surrounded her, ordering their pokemon to attack her. The Kirlia dodged several attacks and grabbed the nearest enemy Geodude with psychic and slammed it against several other pokemon. She then grabbed a stunned Golbat from the air and tossed it like a toy against the ravine wall.

The angered enemy grunts yelled more orders to their pokemon as the Kirlia somehow managed to slowly fight them away. Suddenly though, a Charizard, the one Eric thinks was part of the earlier battle, attacked with dragon claw. It caught Kirlia off-guard and knocked her to the ground. Seeing the little pokemon get hit put a fire in the pit of Eric's gut. It enraged him.

"Hey fuckers! Up here!" he screamed, opening fire on the enemy grunts below. Several got hit and either dropped clutching their wounds or started to run for cover. A few returned fire but missed as Eric jumped over the edge and slid down the steep wall. He kept up the fire, keeping their heads down as he swapped ammo to stun rounds and fired on the enemy pokemon closest to the Kirlia. The non-lethal rounds hit their marks on the hostiles, who flinched in pain and jumped away from being hit. They retreated a short distance towards their masters.

The Kirlia was hurt by the attack she sustained from the Charizard. She felt dizzy from straining her powers. She could hear gunfire around her and looked up. A short distance away she saw the human from earlier jump down behind a rock, several bullets hit around him. **What is he doing?** She thought to herself. She wished that the human wouldn't have come looking for her. **Why did he follow me?** She pushed the thoughts to the side, she needed to get up and continue fighting.

The Kirlia got back up. The human didn't seem to notice she was standing again. He was firing over his cover at the Team Galactic grunts. She turned and saw the Charizard approaching her, hate burning in its eyes. It attacked with flamethrower, but the Kirlia teleported out of the way. She rushed the pokemon, her fist sparking with electricity as she swung with thunderpunch. The attack connected, launching the Charizard back into the ravine wall, badly hurt by the electric attack. An enemy Graveler came out of cover to help its comrade. It lifted a rock out of the ground and threw it. She dodged the attack and threw a shadow ball. The Graveler managed to dodge it as well.

Eric glanced over and saw the Kirlia fighting again. He didn't want her getting hurt. He grabbed a pokeball and summoned Gyarados. The large water pokemon roared with determination.

"Gyarados, help the kirlia! I got the enemy grunts covered!" Eric yelled to his pokemon, who nodded and rushed over to give aid to the Kirlia.

Kirlia didn't like the Gyarados, but she ignored it and threw another shadow ball at the Graveler. The Graveler was hit and knocked back in pain, but threw another rock in retaliation. The Charizard recovered from the attack and was in the air once more. He was furious as he glared at the Kirlia and wanted her dead. He swooped in for an attack when he got hit by a hydro pump from the Gyarados. The water attack hit hard and knocked him out of the air. The Charizard crashed and tried to get back up, but instead fell unconscious.

The young Kirlia watched as the Gyarados quickly turned its attention to the Graveler, attacking again with hydro pump. The Graveler was hit hard and immediately knocked out of the fight. She watched in awe at the strength of the water pokemon. The two pokemon moved near each other, watching the enemy as they exchanged fire with Eric. Two more pokeballs were thrown by their enemy as a Manetric and Gengar were released. The Manetric wasted no time and attacked with thunderbolt, aimed right at Gyarados. The water pokemon tried dodging the attack but was hit. The shock hurt Gyarados badly and he collapsed to the ground. Kirlia was shocked to see the large pokemon fallen, and didn't see in time that the Gengar was attacking with shadow fist. The ghost attack smashed into the Kirlia, knocking her back and onto the ground. The hit took it all out of her, she felt worn out. Her strength started to fade away when she heard her mother's voice in her head.

 _Do not give up my child!_ The voice said.

The Kirlia got back to her feet, and felt something within her. She began to glow. She hovered off the ground and was enveloped in a shroud of light. Both sides momentarily stopped fighting and could only stare at what was happening to the pokemon. The light was blinding to look at, Eric found himself shielding his eyes from it. A few moments passed, and the light began to fade away. When Eric looked back at the Kirlia, he was shocked. She wasn't a Kirlia anymore.

Standing tall and strong was a Gardevoir. She had evolved! Eric stared at her for a moment, he couldn't believe his eyes. She was beautiful. The light faded away and her long flowing dress blew slightly in the breeze. The newly evolved Gardevoir opened her eyes and felt power pulsing through her veins. She held her arms out in front of her, a pulsing orb of energy appeared between her hands as she charged a shadowball. She threw the powerful attack directly at the Gengar, who was hit. The ghost pokemon was blown back with a huge amount of force, knocked out with the single powerful attack. Gardevoir then charged up a moon blast and directly hit the Manetric with it, knocking it out as well. Several other pokemon came rushing out of cover to attack her, but she grabbed them all in a powerful display of her psychic powers. She held them all in place in the air as they struggled to break free. She smashed them against the ravine walls and then threw them away from her. She felt stronger than she ever had before. **I can do this.** She thought to herself.

"Fuck this, kill the bitch already!" yelled one of the Team Galactic members, who brought his rifle back up and fired a shot at the Gardevoir. The round hit her in the side. The pain was horrible. She fell to the ground holding her wound in shock.

"No!" yelled Eric, who quickly aimed his rifle and gunned down the enemy who shot the Gardevoir.

Gardevoir got back to her feet, she saw other rifles being aimed at her. She closed her eyes and braced for it. Shots rang out, but none hit her. She slowly opened her eyes again and saw the human's Gyarados. He had jumped in front of her and took the hits. The water pokemon roared out in pain and dropped, barely breathing.

"Gyarados! No!" Eric screamed, seeing his pokemon mortally injured. He jumped up out of cover and went to go run to help him, but an Electrode cut him off and exploded. Eric was launched back as the whole ravine shook with the blast. Dust filled the air as he was smashed against the ravine wall. The ground still shook from the explosion and a rock slide along the ravine walls came crumbling down, with a large boulder smashing Eric's right leg below the knee and pinning him where he laid. Eric screamed in agony, he never felt a pain like this before. He tried in vain to push the rock off of his leg, but couldn't. The dust settled and he saw Gyarados struggling to get back up, trying to fight through his wounds to save his master. More shots rang out and the Gyarados was hit several more times. He fell again, exhausted.

Eric felt tears running down his face, he couldn't believe this was happening. He lost his childhood friend, several of his fellow soldiers, and now was losing his pokemon. The Gardevoir was slowly walking towards Eric, clutching her side. Another Graveler leaped out and, like his comrade, exploded. The ground shook again as the detonation jarred Eric's head. The dust began to settle as he saw the Gardevoir fighting to stand up once more and move towards him. She got about 10 feet away when a few more shots rang out and another bullet hit her. She let out a yelp in pain and fell to the ground. Looking up at Eric, she crawled a few more feet. She reached slowly reached out for him. He reached his hand out to her, but then she collapsed, falling unconscious. The Gyarados saw this and tried again to get up, to do something. The enemies then were rushing out of their cover and running towards them. As they ran by, one stopped and fired a a bullet into Gyarado's head, killing him. Eric could only stare in disbelief at what was happening. This was it, this was the end. He tried to move the rock once more, but it was far too heavy. He couldn't feel the part of his leg that was trapped beneath it. He could feel himself starting to black out. The enemy grunts slowly approached him, their rifles at the ready. Eric thought to reach for his own rifle, but it was just too far away. He felt so weak. His vision blurred as he heard other gunshots ring out from somewhere above him. The enemy soldiers sprayed blood and dropped. One that survived started firing at something above, but was also hit several times and fell dead.

Eric tried to stay awake, but he slowly felt himself losing more strength. He saw a few figures slide down the ravine wall to his right. He could barely tell who they were, but that they were wearing camo like his. One of the camo-wearing figures ran over to the Gardevoir and checked on her as the others ran to him. One tried to push the rock off Eric's leg but struggled. Garchomp then appeared, hurt but not down, and helped shove the rock off of Eric's smashed leg. Garchomp then poked at Eric with his snout, trying to get a response out of him. Eric just laid there, happy to see Garchomp was alright. His head was swirling. The other blurry figure knelt down beside him and started yelling, trying to have Eric hear him.

"Private stay with me! You're going to be ok!" the voice yelled. It sounded like Sgt. Burke, but Eric could hardly tell. He slowly began to black out as he thought about the gardevoir. He hoped she would be ok.

"Come on soldier stay with us!...Dammit we got to get him out of here!" the voice yelled again. Eric fell unconscious as everything faded to black.

* * *

 **That is it for chapter 4! Thank you for reading, I hope you all liked it and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Peace!**


	5. Memories

**It's time once again! Some of this chapter will be set in past as memories of both Eric and the gardevoir, so I made it easy by providing headers prior to each section telling you when and who's perspective it is. As usual I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 5: Memories**

 **Several Years Ago: (Eric)**

"Gyarados, finish off Machoke with hyper beam!" a young Eric excitedly yelled, throwing his fist in the air.

The dazed Machoke tried to stay on its feet, then got hit by Gyarado's attack. The fighting-type pokemon stumbled backwards before collapsing to the floor.

The referee checked on the machoke, then called it.

"Machoke is unable to continue, the victory goes to the challenger and his Gyarados!"

Eric jumped up and down with joy, then ran to his water pokemon. He embraced him in a tight hug.

"You did it Gyarados! You won!" he joyfully cried.

The Gyarados gave out a loud roar in celebration, proud of himself for winning and earning his master a new badge.

The two separated, Eric could barely contain his excitement. He looked up and watched as the Veilstone Gym Leader approached him, smiling. As the leader passed his Machoke, he returned it to its pokeball. The large man walked up to the young Eric, who stood in confidence at his victory.

"Congratulations young one, you and your pokemon have fought very well. I can sense a strong bong between you all." He said, reaching his hand out and awarding the Cobble Badge to Eric. He received the badge with a huge grin. Eric looked the badge over with sparkling eyes before putting it away. He then held out his hand.

"Thank you sir, it was an honor to battle you." Eric said, shaking the gym leader's hand with a tight grip.

"It was honor to battle you as well. I do have to say though, I don't think I've ever seen a young trainer tame such a powerful pokemon like a Gyarados." The Gym Leader stated, looking up at the large serpent. He could see loyalty for his master sparkling in the pokemon's eyes.

Eric looked at his pokemon as well, swelling with pride at the statement.

"I've had him since he was a Magikarp. I always made sure to take care of him and treat him like he was my best friend." Eric said, chuckling slightly to himself, "Though Gyarados was a bit ornery at first after he evolved. I just never gave up on him, that's all."

The Gym Leader smiled at the boy, "It's good to see such strong trainers such as yourself. Take that badge with pride. Keep doing what you do, and you'll make for a powerful trainer."

"Thank you sir, I will." Eric replied, shaking the man's hand once more before turning to leave.

As he walked off the battlefield, his best friend Joe ran to catch up. The two high-fived, Joe was grinning from ear-to-ear. The two turned and starting walking side-by-side.

"Congrats man! You did it and got another badge!" Joe said, clapping his friend on the back.

Eric paused to return Gyarados to his pokeball, proud of all his pokemon and how they fought hard. He then turned back to his friend and continued walking.

"It was nothing man, just hard work and trust between my pokemon and I. That's all it takes to win." Eric stated, reaching back into his backpack for a water bottle. He took a quick drink and put it back.

Joe laughed, then said, "Well, whatever it is, if you keep this up then you'll be beating the champion in no time!"

"Thanks man, I appreciate it!" Eric said, as the two fist-bumped.

The two boys continued talking as they made their way out of the gym. As they rounded a corner on the way out, a younger pink-haired girl and a Rolu came sprinting around the corner at the same time. Eric and the girl ran into each other hard, falling to the ground in a heap. The girl jumped up and backed off several feet. She was immediately ticked off. Joe helped Eric up, laughing at what happened.

"Hey watch where you're going idiot!" the girl yelled at Eric. She took a defensive stance. The riolu followed suit, taking up the same stance.

"You're the one running blindly around corners!" Eric called back, dusting himself off, "Just watch out next time."

The girl scoffed, more annoyed than anything, "Whatever, just get out of my way. I have a badge to win you know?"

"Oh yeah? Well aren't you a cocky little thing?" Joe laughed, reaching out and ruffling her hair.

The girl hated that. She grabbed Joe's arm and twisted it, tossing him over her shoulder. He hit the ground hard on his back, getting the wind knocked out of him.

Eric begin to lose it, he laughed at his friend. He did deserve that after all, Eric thought.

Joe jumped back up and swore to himself, "That's it! Eric battle her! Show her who's boss!"

"No way man, you deserved that!" Eric laughed some more. He looked to the girl, "I'm sorry for my friend and for us running into each other. So you on your way to earn the Cobble Badge?"

The pink-haired girl calmed a bit, "Yes I am! I plan on earning all the badges!"

"That's awesome, I just won the badge myself." Eric smiled, holding out his hand in a sign of friendship, "The gym leader here uses fighting-type, just as a heads up."

The girl reached out and shook Eric's hand, smiling, "Thanks for the tip, but I think I got this. I prefer fighting-type as well, and my pokemon are very strong. What's your name anyway?"

"My name is Eric. That there is my friend Joe." Eric replied, pointing to his friend.

The girl ignored Joe, only looking at Eric, "Well it's nice to meet you Eric. My name is Maylene."

"It's nice to meet to you too Maylene." Eric replied, smiling. "Good luck on your battle. I hope you win."

Eric walked over and motioned for Joe that they had to get going. Joe nodded.

"Thank you Eric and I will win!" Maylene yelled out as she ran off. The riolu was right behind her.

Joe felt humiliated at what happened, his face burning red. Eric looked at him and laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

"Well whatever." Joe huffed, shrugging of the embarrassment. He turned to Eric, "Wanna go get a bite to eat?"

"Yea sure, I'm starving." Eric said. His stomach began to rumble. "But first we need to stop by the Pokemon Center and let my pokemon get healed up, that was a tough fight for them."

Joe nodded, giving his friend a thumbs up. The two went on their way to the Pokemon Center. Once they got there, Eric handed his pokeballs to Nurse Joy who quickly placed them into the machine at the healing station. After a few moments, Nurse Joy returned his pokeballs to him with a smile. With his pokeballs in hand, Eric and Joe quickly made their way to the local restaurant.

Once they made it, Joe quickly claimed an outdoor table by tossing his bag down into one of the chairs. Eric walked over to the field next to the restaurant to let his pokemon out for lunch. He tossed his pokeballs out, releasing Gyarados, Gabite, Growlithe, and Raichu. The pokemon begin milling about, stretching and playing with one another as Eric got the food for his pokemon ready. Once that's done and they were eating, he went back and sat down at the table, sitting opposite of Joe. A waitress came over to quickly take their orders and went away.

Joe stretched his arms, then winced in pain and rubbed his shoulder. Eric chuckled and grinned at him.

"What did you learn?" Eric said, still grinning.

"I learned not to touch girls' hair." Joe replied, mumbling under his breath. "Anyways, did you notice she wasn't wearing any shoes? Kinda weird for someone to just run around barefoot right?"

Eric shrugged, taking a drink of his soda and glancing over at an outdoor TV screen. "Eh, I don't judge. It isn't any of my business."

"I guess so, whatever suits you right?" Joe replied, looking over at the TV as well. "What's going on there?"

The TV was blaring with a breaking news story. Almost everyone at the restaurant was staring. It was a news story talking about the recent Team Rocket attack on a pokemon reserve. It looked like a lot of innocent people and pokemon were hurt in the attack. Everyone watched in worry as they saw the bad news coming out of the Kanto Region. Eric and Joe shook their heads.

They watched for a few more moments, then their food arrived. They thanked the waitress and began eating but found they couldn't stop watching the TV. After a few bites, Joe spoke up.

"That right there is why I plan on enlisting in the Defense Force in a few years. Police haven't been able to stop those attacks, and it's only a matter of time until a group like Team Rocket comes to Sinnoh." Joe says, pointing his fork at the screen. "If they aren't already here."

Eric looked down at his food for a second before looking up at his friend, "Do you think the Defense Force would do any good? They are just now being reformed and Sinnoh hasn't had a military in years. What makes you think it'd do any good over what we already have?"

Joe looked at Eric in the eye. Eric saw determination as Joe said, "It's got to be better than what we have now. Law enforcement can only do so much, we need something like this that can really take the fight to creeps like Team Rocket. Why don't you enlist with me man?"

"I don't know...I feel like I should definitely do something though. I hate seeing innocence being hurt by evil like that." Eric replied.

"Listen, I'm enlisting as soon as I'm of age. Give it some thought ok? I'll be in for a year by the time you're old enough." Joe took a few more bites of his food, then continued, "I'm sure I'll have you talked into it by then."

They both chuckled, then grew silent once more. Finally Eric nodded.

"Yea, I'll give it some thought," he said, before he continued eating.

 **One month ago from present day: (Gardevoir, while she was still a kirlia)**

It was cold, the Kirlia shivered as she tried to go to sleep. She couldn't, so she just laid there with her head resting on her mother's lap. The Gardevoir ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. The Kirlia looked around at the cage they were in. It was located deep in the mines of Iron Island. They cage that imprisoned them was some sort of special electronic one. Every time her family simply tried to teleport out of it, they found their selves unable to. There was some sort of transmission it gave off that disrupted most of their physic abilities. They hated it.

The Kirlia tried again to fall sleep, closing her eyes and thinking of sleep. Her father, the Gallade, paced along the cage walls. He kept thinking to himself of ways to get his family out of captivity. He was worried about his mate and daughter that were with him, but there was another young one of theirs that he worried about as well.

 _Do you think she's ok out there, all alone?_ Gardevoir asked, thinking the Kirlia was finally asleep.

 _I don't know, she was still just a ralts when we were taken. I pray to Arceus that she is safe._ Gallade replied.

The Kirlia laid still, she didn't want her parents to know she was awake. **Who are they talking about?** She wondered.

 _I pray as well my love._ Gardevoir replied. She then felt her daughter's presence and that she was still awake. She sighed.

Kirlia knew she had been caught listening. _Mom, who are you and Dad talking about?_

The Gallade looked at his daughter and sighed as well. There was no point in hiding it. _Well sweetheart, you have a sister. She was hatched a short time before you._

The young pokemon was actually a bit excited about the news, but then got saddened as well by the realization. _Where is she? What happened to her?_

The Gardevoir stroked her daughter's hair, who was still laying her head in her mother's lap. _I don't know, we were taken from her while she slept. I was still pregnant with you as an egg. Your father came under attack and I went to go try and help._

The Gallade rested his hand against the cage wall, his head hung low. He held his eye tightly shut. Gardevoir continued. _When I went to help, more of them came out and attacked us with their pokemon. At that point we just tried to lure them away from our baby...I wish I would have stay like your father asked...I wouldn't have brought you into this._ The Gardevoir started to tear up.

Gallade turned and looked at his mate. _Don't say stuff like that love, you were only following your instincts. You didn't want to see me get hurt or worse._ He walked over and knelt beside his mate. He wrapped his arms around the gardevoir, holding her.

The Kirlia got up and hugged her parents for a moment, then pulled away. _Is my sister okay?_

Gardevoir shrugged sadly. _We don't know if she is or not. We lived out in the wilderness far enough from any humans who might try to capture her for battle...or at least so we thought...anyways we never usually were bothered except for some poochyenas. They aren't a threat to me or your father but we worry about her._

The Kirlia nodded, and started to worry as well, but decided to shrug it off for now. _I'm sure she's fine. If she's anything like you and daddy then I bet she's tough._ She looked up at her parents and smiled. They smiled back and laughed lightly.

They hugged again, then Gardevoir said to her young one. _Lay back down and get some rest. You need to conserve your strength._

Kirlia let out a small yawn, than laid back down. _Goodnight mom and dad. I love you._

 _We love you too sweetheart._ Gallade said. He leaned down and kissed the Kirlia on the forehead. He then walked back over by the cage wall and stared out at the tunnel system they were in. He was confident that he would get his family to safety.

 **Present Day: (Mars)**

Mars stood at the top of one the peaks of Iron Island. She crossed her arms as she watched the smoke of battle in the distance. She had a bad feeling about this deep down in her gut. Cyrus was not going to be happy about this intervention by the Defense Force. As long they get what they need for their plans, she didn't think it would matter if the Defense Force gets involved. Everyone would parish before they'd be stopped.

A Team Galactic scout came running up the hill. He stopped about ten feet behind her, panting and trying to catch his breath.

"Well? What is it?" Mars commanded. She glared over her shoulder at the scout.

"Ma'am...ugh...we failed to recapture the Kirlia or stop the human helping it. We had nearly killed them both when they received reinforcements. We think it was the surviving soldiers from earlier." He said, breathing heavily.

Mars curled her lip in anger, then spun around and smacked the scout across the face hard.

"You idiot!" She screamed, "Where are they now!?"

The scout flinched in pain from the sting, rubbing his face, "Ma'am they've managed to escape to the other side of the island. Our other scouts show another Defense Force ship preparing to arrive to get them. Shall we pursue?"

Mars furiously stared at the scout for another second, then waved him off. She turned back to where the smoke was coming from.

"No, we can't risk any more damage and exposure. We'll have to evacuate the island for now. The Defense Force is sure to come back with more troops. Tell everyone to pack up and make sure that the Spear Key is secured," she ordered.

The scout saluted, then spun on his heels and ran off to spread the word to the others. Mars continued to watch the smoke for another moment. Further in the distance near the shore she saw the ship the scout mentioned. Seeing the ship only served to infuriate her more. After another moment of watching, another scout came running up to her in a panic.

"Commander Mars, ma'am!" the scout yelled.

"What is it this time?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Ma'am...the Spear Key is gone...and the pokemon have escaped!" the scout replied.

 **Earlier: (Sgt. Burke)**

Sergeant Burke looked at his shoulder again. It only seemed like the bullet grazed him, but it still hurt like crazy. He push the pain to the side and checked on Private Sato.

"How are you doing soldier?" he asked.

The young private ignored his injured leg and side. He clearly walked with a limp, but the Sergeant was proud of the soldier for sticking it out.

"I'll be fine Sergeant. I'm holding up." Sato replied. He was wearing bandages fashioned out of the uniform jackets they were wearing.

Burke nodded, "That's good."

He turned to Corporal Johnson, "How about you?"

Johnson wasn't wounded, but clearly seemed shaken up. "I'm fine too Sgt."

Burke nodded once more as they continued walking, "Alright let's continue on then. We have to see if we can find Cummings and Hahn."

A short time passed when the group came upon a mine opening. There didn't seem to be any enemies around and it seemed like a place that Joe and Eric would fall back to. Burke waved his soldiers in quietly, rifles at the ready. They went into the mine tunnel, following it down deep into the island. It seemed like the old tunnels that were used for mining ore. There were still old mining carts, pickaxes and shovels scattered about. After awhile they came across a freshly dug tunnel going down deeper. The soldiers took point around the opening.

"Look alive soldiers, we may run into something," the Sergeant said quietly. He took point and continued down deeper into the mine.

After a few hundred yards, the tunnel opened into a cavernous room. There were crates and various supplies spread around the large chamber. They found Team Galactic's base on the island. Lined along one of the walls were a number of electronic cages holding several different kinds of pokemon in them. In the center of the room was a pedestal, and on it was a golden cube. Several guards patrolled the area.

The soldiers took cover behind a large crate. Sergeant Burke knew there was something important about that cube. He knew he needed to capture it.

"Alright boys. I want you to stay here and don't make any sudden moves or sounds. I'm going to sneak over to that pedestal and take that cube, it looks important to them." he said.

The two soldiers nodded, Sato gave him a thumbs up. Sergeant Burke nodded as well.

"I'll be right back," he said.

The Sergeant quickly and quietly made his way from crate to crate, ducking behind them so as to not be seen. Once he got close, he noticed there was a guard that made his patrol around the cube. He needed to take him out. Burke got closer and hid. He waited for the guard to pass while the others weren't looking before quickly reaching out and grabbed the passing guard. He put him in a choke hold while covering his mouth with his hand so the guard couldn't scream for help. He pulled the guard behind cover and choked him out until he was unconscious. Once he was out cold, Burke dropped him and sprinted for the cube, grabbing it.

Once Burke had the cube, he turned and ran back to where the others were. Once he got there he saw they weren't there. He panicked a little and spun his head around looking for them when he spotted them over by the cages holding the pokemon. He was about to go get them when the cages deactivated. His soldiers were trying to release them all. With the cages turned off, the vengeful pokemon rushed out and attacked the guards. Sgt. Burke felt a little anger for potentially giving their position away, but was happy for his soldiers for helping free the pokemon that were captive. The soldiers quickly came back to their sergeant without being detected in the chaos that was unleashed.

Sgt. Burke nodded back to the tunnel they came through. "Let's get the hell out of here and keep looking for the others."

As they left, Burke looked behind him in time to see the guards being beat back by the pokemon that were getting their revenge. He grinned to himself. **Those bastards deserve this.** He thought.

Once out of the tunnels and back outside, they retraced their steps back to the battleground. They figured the enemy wouldn't be there anymore, and it may prove useful in finding Eric and Joe. On the way back, they spotted a body laying on the ground. The soldiers ran over.

"Oh god no..." Johnson said quietly to himself. It was Joe's body. There was blood pooled under him.

Sgt. Burke shook his head. If Eric was still alive he needed to find him fast. He pushed his soldiers onward. As they came up onto the site of the battle, they passed the body of a Gardevoir. He felt a pang of sadness at the sight, but continued on. The soldiers kept moving until they heard a roar in the distance, followed by another.

"That sounded like Hahn's Garchomp. Move!" Burke barked. The soldiers began running towards the sound.

When they rounded the next corner, they saw a Steelix and Eric's Garchomp battling. Eric was nowhere to be seen, and the Garchomp looked hurt.

"Quick, switch to stun rounds and focus fire!" Burke ordered. The soldiers quickly reloaded and opened fire on the Steelix. They pelted the serpent with the stun rounds, who didn't seem heavily affected but did flinch from the impacts. The Garchomp seemed relieved to get help and quickly attacked with brick break. The attack landed and knocked the Steelix out cold.

With that threat dealt with, Garchomp ran over to Sergeant Burke.

"Where's your master, Garchomp? Lead us to him!" He said.

Garchomp spun around, and beckoned for them to follow. Just then an explosion rang out ahead of them in the next ravine. Then another explosion.

Burke knew they didn't have time, he started running. "Let's go soldiers!"

* * *

 **Chapter 5 is done! I wanted this chapter to give just a tiny bit of backstory as well as give a bit into what else was happening. As always I hope you enjoyed reading this one, and I hope to see you next week with chapter 6! Peace!**


	6. Awakening

**Hey it's time again for another chapter! I have received a few messages from some of you guys in regards to the previous chapters, and I'm glad to hear that you all are enjoying the story so far! I plan on keeping this story going for as long as it needs until it's finished. Anyways with all that out of the way let's get into Chapter 6! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Awakening**

Eric felt like he was floating in darkness. It felt like the void of space, everything and nothing at the same time. Memories of his life then flew past him. Thoughts of his childhood. Images of the past swarmed around him like stars in a galaxy. He saw himself and Joe in early grade school, then intermediate school. It was followed by images of them at Eric's first pokemon battles, then by both boys in uniform at Eric's graduation from basic training in the Defense Force. The last images were of Eric holding Joe as he died in his arms. It was followed by the Gardevoir as she laid bleeding on the ground, with Gyarados laying dead behind her. Then everything went black once more.

Eric saw a blurry light at the end of the void. The world came swirling back as he regained consciousness. His head hurt, his sides hurt. It felt like everything hurt. His right leg especially, but something else seemed off about it. He then heard faint voices around him. He tried to focus on what they were saying as he began to stir.

"He's waking up, oh thank goodness!" One of the voices said. It sounded like his mother. He hadn't seen her since he left for training.

"Take it easy son, you took a beating." Another voice said. That one sounded like his father. The last time he saw him was several days before the mission to Iron Island.

Eric placed his elbows beneath him and struggled to sit up. The pain all over his body got worse. He slowly opened his eyes but could only see a swirling blurry light for a few moments. His vision started to clear up. Colorful blobs began to take shape as his vision came into focus. He tried to push himself up fully into the seated position, but then he felt several hands gently stop him. The hands slowly lowered him back down onto his back.

"Not too fast soldier, no need to strain yourself." A voice called out. It was Sgt. Burke.

Eric laid back down, his vision cleared up the rest of the way. He looked around as best he could. He was in a hospital room. Sitting to his right was his parents, his mother looked like she had been crying. They both smiled seeing their son was still alive. His mom reached out and rubbed his arm lightly.

"Thank Arceus! My baby is alive!" She happily called out. Eric reached up and clasped her hand and squeezed it. He smiled back at his parents. He was very happy to see them. He couldn't imagine how worried they must have been.

"We were worried you wouldn't ever wake up son. I couldn't be more happy to see that the doctors were wrong." His father said. Tears welled up in his eyes as he continued, "They said it was very unlikely you would ever recover, or even simply regain consciousness."

Eric silently nodded at his dad. He felt another hand squeeze his shoulder lightly.

"It's good to have you back in the land of the living soldier." Sgt. Burke said from Eric's left.

Eric looked over at his squad leader. The Sergeant had his jacket off, a large bandage was wrapped around his shoulder. Eric nodded again.

"Yes Sergeant..." Eric struggled to talk, "How is everyone else in the squad?...Did anyone else make it?"

Burke frowned, his gaze dropped to the floor. He then sighed and looked back up at the Private.

"Only three of us survived..." he began, "When we were trying to carry you out of there, we were ambushed again...Sato was badly injured already, so he sacrificed himself by stopping to fight them off so Johnson and I could carry you to safety. I tried to stop him but he refused."

Eric was quiet. He closed his eyes and held them tightly shut. He couldn't believe that out of the eight in his squad, only three survived. The others had families, friends, lovers. Why did any of them have to die? He felt himself choke up. He reopened his eyes and looked back at his squad leader.

"Was we able to recover the bodies?" He asked, his voice quivering.

Burke responded, "Yes. Two more squads immediately deployed as we were boarding the ship to evacuate. They were unable to find the enemy, but they did recover the bodies of our fallen. They have all been given proper burials."

Eric nodded. He wish he could have at least been there for Joe's funeral. He choked up at the thought of his lost friend. They had known each other for so long. Joe's parents must be devastated. He remembered he still needed to deliver Joe's last letter to his girlfriend. He felt the saddened pain come back. He just then remembered something else.

"What about the Gardevoir? Is she okay?" He asked. The weird-feeling pain came back again in his right leg.

"She's fine. She was injured badly as well, but the pokemon center managed to save and bring her back to health." Sergeant Burke said, looking over his shoulder.

From behind him, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, the Gardevoir stood up and floated over to the bed. She had a few small pale scars where the bullets hit her. Her large red eyes met with Eric's. He saw sadness in her eyes, but he also saw what looked like relief that he was alive. They looked at each other for just a second. She reached out and brushed her hand against his, then turned to sit back down in her chair. Eric was glad that she was safe, but also wondered why she was here. Why did she come to the hospital to see him?

"She was unconscious next to you when we found you." Sgt Burke started, "We couldn't carry you both...but we were able to capture her in one of your pokeballs to keep her safe until we got back...We saw that one of them wasn't being used anymore, so we figured it could be used to save her instead."

Eric then remembered his Gyarados, and how it tried to save him. Memories of the Gyarados flooded his mind. He fought back his tears. Sergeant Burke reached into his pants pocket and pulled out Gyarados' pokeball. It was sealed, a crystal water drop adorned the pokeball above its button. He held it up for Eric to see.

"This belongs to you. Once the Gardevoir was being treated for her wounds, she was transferred to another pokeball. It now has Gyarados' ashes stored in it as an urn. We felt it was only right." Burke said, sitting the pokeball on the table next to Eric's bed.

Eric felt the urge to cry, but fought it back. He was glad to have a bit of his Gyarados back. He would make sure that the pokeball would be kept safe.

"Thank you Sergeant, that truly means a lot to me." He said.

"No problem, Hahn." Sgt. Burke smiled at the young soldier, then stood up, "Well, I'm going to head back to my room for now. You rest here okay?"

Eric watched him as he walked away, but then stopped him, "Wait, Sergeant."

Burke turned around and look at Eric, one of his brows raised quizzically.

"What's going to happen to me with the Defense Force?" Eric asked.

Sgt. Burke glanced at Eric's parents, then replied, "We'll worry about that later. For now you need to visit with your parents and get some rest."

Eric silently nodded. Burke left the room, closing the door behind him. Eric looked back over to his parents. He was glad they were here.

"We're so happy you're OK sweetheart." His mom said, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine mom, I always promised you I would be." He replied. He tried sitting up again. The pain wasn't as bad, but the odd feeling was still there in his right leg. It hurt but at the same time he couldn't feel anything beneath his knee. As he sat up, he looked down at his feet and saw that there wasn't anything under the covers beneath his knee on the right leg. The color drained from his skin and he felt like passing out again. He had to brace himself on his elbows to stay up.

His dad noticed that Eric realized he was missing part of this leg and jumped out of his chair to help him lay back down. He didn't want his son to have a panic attack at the realization.

"I know son, I know. It's OK, it's fine." His father quietly told him.

"Mom...I'm missing my leg..." Eric said, his eyes wide open. He couldn't stop staring at the empty space where his leg should have been. He was light-headed again.

His mother reached out and ran her hand through his hair. She was trying to help keep him calm.

"Hun it's OK, it'll be OK. We were told a large boulder crushed your leg and it couldn't be saved. The doctor's said they tried their best,but that it had to be removed. We're sorry sweetheart, but it will all be OK, I promise." she said.

Eric remembered the boulder, and the pain it caused. He couldn't believe he was missing part of his leg. He didn't want this, any of it.

"Mom, I don't want to be stuck in a wheelchair. What will I do?" He asked.

His mom thought for a moment, then said. "We'll figure something out. We could get you a prosthetic."

Eric just looked up at the ceiling. **Why did all of this have to happen to me?** He thought. About that time, the door opened and a nurse walked in to change Eric's IV. She saw that he was awake and seemed surprised.

"Oh my! You're awake, thank goodness for that!" she said, smiling warmly, "The doctors were worried whether you would ever wake up."

"He's still a bit in shock. He noticed his leg." His father quietly said to the nurse.

The nurse was changing the IV, "Yes, it's a most unfortunate thing. We tried our best but it was far too damaged to be saved. I am sorry."

She finished up, then looked down at Eric, "We do offer prosthetic limbs if you'd wish to go that route. I promise you that with some physical therapy you could be walking and running again in no time!"

Eric looked back at her, nodded and said, "Thank you nurse."

She smiled again, then turned around to leave. Eric stared back at the ceiling. He figured he would get a prosthetic. He refused to be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He laid there for another moment, then deep down he began to feel another emotion bubbling up. He felt it quickly replacing his worry. It was anger. Vengeance. He wanted to avenge his fallen brothers and his gyarados. He wanted to avenge the gardevoir. He wanted to make the enemy feel what he felt right then. He wanted to hurt them all...then he calmed his nerves. He knew realistically that he probably wouldn't ever be able to do it. He didn't even know where they were hiding. Like Team Rocket in the other regions, this group seemed secretive for the most part.

He still felt the anger bubbling deep within him. He glanced over at the Gardevoir in the corner. She was looking back at him. Her beautiful red eyes locked with his. Her gaze somehow made Eric feel better. He fully calmed down, then looked back over at his parents.

"What are we having for dinner? I'm starving." He said, feeling his stomach rumble.

His parents smiled again, his mom even let out a small laugh.

"We were just about to leave for now and get something to eat. Do you want us to bring back something for you?" she asked.

"Yes please, I would love that." He said, smiling for his worried mother.

Both his parents got up to leave. His dad made his way to the door before pausing and turning around. His mom leaned down and kissed Eric on the forehead.

"I love you sweetie. I'm so happy you are OK," She said, turning to leave.

She walked out the door, his father waited for her to pass him.

"Son, do you want us to have that Gardevoir leave here as well so you can get some time alone to rest?" He asked, pointing at the pokemon in the corner.

Eric shook his head, "No dad, she's OK. She's fine in here."

His dad nodded, "OK son. Try and get some rest until we get back with the food. It shouldn't take very long."

Eric replied, "Alright dad."

"Love you son." He said, closing the door behind him.

The room was quiet for several moments. Eric felt tired. His mind wondered. The sore pain all across his body came back into his mind. He wished he had some pain killers to help with it. Looking over, he saw a bottle of what could be pain killers on the table a short distance from him. He could barely make out his name on the bottle's label. It was just out of reach. **Damn,** he thought to himself.

The Gardevoir watched him for a moment, then stood up. She floated across the room to the table, where she grabbed the bottle and handed it to Eric.

"Thanks." Eric said, giving a faint smile. He read the label, confirming it was pain killer, and proceeded to take a few.

 **"You're welcome."** A feminine voice said. Eric immediately wondered where it came from. It sounded like an actual voice, but it also sounded like it was in his head. It was like chimes of a bell, sublime. He looked at the Gardevoir incredulously.

"Are you talking?" He asked shockingly.

The Gardevoir covered her mouth with one hand and giggled silently. " **Not really, I'm speaking to you telepathically."**

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought about it for a moment, then remembered that she was a psychic pokemon. It wasn't unheard of that some were capable of telepathy. That also meant she could probably read his thoughts.

 **"Yes, some psychic types are able to speak with humans using telepathy."** She answered, reading the thought that was on his mind.

"Well that answers that I guess." Eric said, laughing. It felt good to laugh, even if it made his ribs hurt more. He would have to be careful about what he thought. He didn't want her reading the wrong thoughts.

The Gardevoir looked at him. She smiled warmly, then pointed to his bed. " **May I sit?"**

Eric nodded, and she turned and sat on the edge of the bed. Eric had to ask her.

"I'm thankful you're here, but I have to ask. Why did you come here?" He asked. Her eyes met his again briefly, then her gaze dropped to the floor.

 **"I'm here because you refused to leave me on that island. You came looking for me even though I thought I didn't want you to. You did everything you could to protect me and my mother. I'm still alive because of you. I wanted to thank you."** She said, her eyes coming back up to met his again. Her hand slowly reached for his and grabbed it. She gave his hand a light squeeze.

"I didn't want you to get hurt. I don't want to see any innocent pokemon hurt...but something else told me to go after you. It just felt like a primary instinct." He said, squeezing her hand back. She blushed lightly, then turned away for a second.

"Don't you want to be free in nature again?" He asked, letting go of her hand.

She slowly turned back to him, thought not quite meeting his eyes. **"Well...I never have been free. My whole life has pretty much been in a cage. In those cursed mines. A slave to those Team Galactic freaks."** She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her chin on her knees, closing her eyes.

Eric felt saddened by what she told him. He had no idea she had been in captivity her entire life. He couldn't imagine what it could have been like. **Team Galactic? So that's who those bastards are.** He thought to himself.

" **Yes, they're terrible people. They're bent on taking over the world and reforming it in their image.** " She said, reading his mind.

"Of course they are." Eric responded, he wasn't worried about them at the moment. He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He continued, "Well you don't have to worry about them anymore. You can live free if you want. You don't have to live in captivity no longer."

She lowered her legs off the bed. Her head hung low. " **I can't be free. I don't know how to live out there, and I don't have any family left here.** " She closed her eyes again as tears collected.

Eric removed his hand from her shoulder, reaching up to wipe her tears away. It reminded her of when her parents would do that in an attempt to comfort her. She gently grabbed his hand and squeezed it again.

"Do you want to stay with me?" Eric asked. He didn't want her to be alone. Something else was also telling him to ask her. It again felt like a base instinct.

She looked at him. She never has trusted a human before. All she had ever seen in her past was the evil and cruelty that humans were capable of. Eric seemed different though. She could only sense something else out of him. She could feel he truly cared, that he wanted to help and protect her. She felt emotions she's never felt before come up, warm feelings that made her blush again. She pushed them to the side.

 **"Please?"** Was the only word she could get out. Eric smiled at her and chuckled. It made her feel warmer.

"It's your choice. Though I guess you're technically already caught in one of my pokeballs anyways." He said, laughing again.

" **I guess so.** " She giggled and smiled back. She then remembered something her mother told her about. " **I won't have to battle will I?** "

Eric's smile faded. He understood where she was coming from. He slowly pulled himself up into a seated position. She helped to pull him up. "No. I'll never make you do anything you don't want to do. It isn't right. Every pokemon I've had that battled, did so because they wanted to. They enjoyed the rush and knew they would get stronger that way, but I never made them fight against their will."

She nodded, happy with the answer. " **That's good. My mother had told me that she used to be owned by a trainer who treated all his pokemon horribly. He forced them to fight again and again against their will. Many of them were hurt badly. It was abuse. My mother managed to escape him one day and ran into the forest. That was where she met my father. She told me that if I was to ever escape from Team Galactic, to never be caught by a trainer in fear the same would happen to me.** "

Eric nodded, then said, "I'll never treat you wrong. I promise you that."

He reached out and pulled her into a hug. She was surprised at first, her eyes widened slightly. She then wrapped her arms around him and enjoyed the moment. She never felt so safe before in her life. She felt she could truly trust Eric.

They broke the hug, but continued to look at each other in the eyes. He noticed again how gorgeous she was for a pokemon. He then remembered she could read minds and quickly suppressed the thought. She blushed slightly and giggled again.

" **Thank you.** " She said, smiling.

Eric blushed as well this time. "Yea...no problem."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Eric thought of something.

"So. If you're going to be accompanying me from now on, I think you might want a name right? I don't usually name my pokemon, but I feel like you're a bit different." He said.

She smiled a little bigger. " **Sure. My mother was named Grace, so it'd be an honor for me to have one as well.** "

Eric thought for a moment, then said, "How about Celestial? Or just Celest for short? It can mean anything having to do with, or relating to heaven. It's also the basis of the name of Celestic Town where I grew up. I think it fits you well."

She thought about it for a moment, then smiled widely. She hugged him again. " **I love it. It's perfect.** "

"I'm glad you like it, Celest." Eric replied, using her new name. He felt her hug him a little tighter. He was happy they found each other. He felt like this was the beginning of something great. They released from their embrace. Eric yawned.

" **Get some rest OK? I think I'll try to nap as well."** Celest said, helping Eric lower himself back down.

"Alright, make sure I wake up when my parents get back," he said, closing his eyes.

" **I will. Sleep well Eric.** " She responded.

She sat still for a few moments, watching him as he fell asleep. After a bit, she read his mind and felt him already deep in slumber. He seemed at peace. She smiled to herself and again felt the emotions from earlier. They confused her since she's never felt anything like it before. Merely being in his presence made her like she was complete. Like she was truly safe. He promised to keep her safe, and she silently promised to protect him as well. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, then stood up and moved back to her chair.

She sat down and tried to get comfortable. She was used to sleeping in the cage at Iron Island, so this chair seemed like heaven for a moment. She looked at Eric again. She was glad fate had them meet, and that her mom helped her feel the same trust that she seemed to feel before her death. She closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.

 **Maybe things can actually get better.** She thought.

* * *

 **That is it for chapter 6! It's slightly shorter than the previous few, but I hope it was good nonetheless! I know it's not as "actiony" as the last few as well, but this is to start what is going to happen in the next few chapters. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next Friday with the chapter 7! Peace!**


	7. Recovery

**It's time once again! First things first, I have updated chapter 1. I felt it was far too short so I added a section in the beginning to it give a little detail into Eric's time in training, so please go give it a look! As for this will probably be another slow chapter, to help set up for the next few. Just for note: Bold letters indicate thoughts or Celest speaking to a character. If it's her speaking, it will be surrounded in quotations.** _Italics_ **indicate pokemon speaking to each other. Now on to chapter 7, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Recovery**

 **Three months after the events of Awakening:**

Celest tossed and turned in her sleep. In her dream, she was still just a kirlia. She stood among the rocks and gravel of Iron Island. The sky was a blood red. She couldn't move, couldn't scream. She was forced to watch her parents try to fight off a hoard of Team Galactic's pokemon. Her father desperately tried fending off a Gengar as her mother was being struck down by a Steelix. She tried again to move, to scream out to her parents, but she was powerless. Her parents tried fighting until both were hit by the self-destruct from an Electrode. The ground shook from the thunder of the explosion. When the dust and smoke settled, her mom and dad were both laying side by side. Then the red-headed Team Galactic commander, the one she knew was called Mars, approached from a cloud of darkness and shot them dead. Mars grinned evilly at Celest as she pulled the trigger on each of her parents.

Celest silently screamed in anguish. Finally she was able to move, being enshrouded in light. When the light dissipated, she stood as a gardevoir. She wanted to avenge her parents and destroy Mars. She held her hands out in front of her as she charged a shadow ball. Yet, as she went to launch the powerful attack, the shadow ball faded away. She tried charging it again, but to no avail. She felt powerless even in her evolved form. All her strength left her as she dropped to her knees. She could only watch as Mars walked up to her, laughing.

"Worthless." Mars said, leveling her pistol at Celest's forehead.

Before she could fire, another beam of light hit the earth. Mars stepped back, shocked by what was happening. Within the beam of light stood a man and his pokemon. He took a step forward, his loyal pokemon charging past him. The one in the lead, a Garchomp, attacked the gengar with brick break as the others jumped into the fray. The man approached Mars, reaching his hand out and enshrouding her in light. The evil commander screamed as she was absorbed by the light. The Team Galactic pokemon were also absorbed in light as the man's pokemon attacked them, soon destroying them all. Once the enemy was gone, the man's pokemon went to either side of the human then faded away, leaving just him and her alone.

The human, revealed to be Eric, walked up to Celest. He gingerly lifted her back onto her feet, then pulled her into a tight hug. Celest felt the warmth radiating from him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I promise I will always protect you Celest." Eric said, tightening his hug.

" **And I will always protect you Eric.** " Celest responded. She felt all her fears and worries disappear.

The two pulled away, but still held each other by the shoulders. They looked into each others' eyes. Celest studied every detail of Eric's face. His dirty blond hair, his blue eyes. She felt him studying her back. They both closed their eyes as they brought their others' faces closer together. Her lips were about to met his. Everything seemed like perfection, but then the Earth shook beneath them. A crack formed, splitting the ground between them. As the ground split and separated her and Eric, she tried floating over but again felt herself losing power. From the hellish split in the ground, a dark pokemon arose. The beast was not like anything she had ever seen. It was pure evil, its body enshrouded in darkness. She saw two deep red eyes, like burning hellfire itself, staring at her. The creature then turned to Eric, who was screaming for her to run. The monster then crushed Eric with its fist. Celest jolted awake from her sleep in a cold sweat.

She looked around the room. It was still night outside. She was breathing heavily. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she stood up from her bed. Since being released from the hospital, Eric had gotten a small house for her and himself. She had her own separate room to herself as she didn't like being in her pokeball. Eric didn't seem to mind if she didn't want to be in it, he wanted her to be happy. Celest floated over to her door and left her room. She made her way down the hall and slowly opened Eric's door. She made her way in and floated to his bedside. He was still there, sleeping soundly. She felt relieved. She knew it was just a dream, but she felt better seeing him physically. All her fears melted away again. She loved being in his presence. She slowly brushed her hand against his cheek and watched him sleep for a moment. Once she was sure he was safe, she smiled and turned to leave the room. As she was about to close the door behind her, she heard Eric stirring. He slowly rose up, rubbing his eyes. He let out a yawn.

"Celest, is something wrong?" He asked, still feeling groggy. He sat up.

She had hoped not to wake him, she felt kind of bad about it. She turned and shyly peeked from behind the bedroom door, keeping half her face hidden behind it.

" **I'm fine...I just had a bit of a bad dream. It's nothing.** " She responded.

"Well it must have been bad if you came in here. Do you want to talk about it?" Eric asked, a little more awake now. He turned the bedside light on. Its glow filled the room.

Celest came out from behind the door, shaking her head.

" **No, I'm fine I promise. Just had a hard time going back to sleep,** " she said.

"Well...okay Celest." Eric replied. He motioned next to him in bed, "Would it help if you slept in here for the rest of the night?"

Celest hid her face behind the door again. She felt her cheeks burn with her blushing. Why did she feel these emotions? Her mind scrambled to respond, it made her stutter in her telepathy.

 **"I-I d-don't know. That's your bed, not mine,"** she managed to get out.

Eric chuckled, then smiled warmly. He said, "Yeah but you can sleep in here, I don't care. I want you to be comfortable and happy. Now come on, let's get to sleep."

She nodded and slowly floated back from around the door, closing it. She managed to stop her blushing as she got to the bed. She lifted the covers and laid down next to Eric, who turned the light back off and laid back down. The room was dark once more. She pulled the blanket over herself and immediately felt better.

"Better?" She heard Eric ask.

 **"Yeah, better,"** she responded. She felt a lot better knowing Eric was right there.

She then felt Eric gently kiss her on the cheek. She was thankful that it was too dark to see, since her cheeks were flushed a bight red. Her heart skipped a beat. A smile broke out across her face. She cuddled into Eric's side, loving his warmth.

"Goodnight Celest," Eric said, before yawning again. He wrapped an arm around her.

" **Goodnight Eric,** " Celest responded, still smiling. She slept the rest of the night peacefully.

Morning came fast. The sun rose triumphantly between the trees. Its warm glow lit up the room as Eric stirred himself awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He looked over and saw Celest was still sound asleep. She looked peaceful. A smile spread across his face as he stood up. He hobbled on one leg, supporting himself by grabbing the crutch at his bedside as he made his way out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. He relieved himself, then undressed to get in the shower. The water ran down his body as he stood under the shower head. He braced his arm against the wall to keep himself standing.

He hated that he was missing part of a leg. It made even mundane things more difficult to accomplish. He couldn't wait to get his prosthetic leg. Maybe then he could be normal again. Once he was out of the shower, he dried off and wrapped the towel around him. He braced himself with his crutch while standing at the bathroom sink and shaved. Once done, he hobbled back into his bedroom and saw Celest sitting up in bed. She let out a slight yawn and stretched her arms.

"How'd you sleep?" Eric said as he made it to his closet to grab some clothes.

Celest rubbed her eyes then looked at Eric. She stood up out of bed.

" **Much better, thank you for sharing your bed.** " She said, floating over next to him.

"No problem Celest. You're welcome to sleep in here whenever you need to." He responded, turning to meet her eyes.

The two stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Then Eric smiled and chuckled. She looked at him quizzically, then blushed as she read his mind.

"I need to get dressed, I'm only wearing a towel you know." He said, knowing she already figured that out, "So unless want to see me naked you may want to leave the room."

He laughed a little louder. He saw her blush even redder. She looked cute.

" **Yes, sorry. I'll go get breakfast started,** " she said as she left the room.

Eric smiled and shook his head. As he got dressed, he thought about the short time Celest had been with him. It's like they've known each other for years. He felt they already had a strong bond. She had been such a great help to him. She taught herself to cook since Eric has had difficulty doing it himself, only having one leg and not being able to stand for long. Beyond that, she's helped him complete basic tasks that would require him moving around a lot. At times when he'd nearly fall because he was being too stubborn to use his crutch, she would catch him using her psychic powers. She would gently hold him up until he would catch his balance again. Without her, his life would surely be a bit harder. He did have his parents, but they lived in another town, and he was too prideful to move back in with them. He was happy that his parents have come to accept Celest as another of Eric's pokemon, albeit one that was never in her pokeball. They saw that she helped Eric, and they've come to love her like family. He knew it made Celest feel better as well, having other humans she could trust.

Yet, there was more to Celest than Eric would like to admit to himself. Since the day he saved her, he's had emotions stirring. Something in his gut kept speaking to him. He knew what the emotions were. It was love. He knew he loved her as a good friend, but deep down he knew it was more than that. He truly and deeply LOVED her. He didn't know if she felt the same way, but he couldn't bring himself to reveal his feelings to her. He knew a pokemon/human relationship was illegal in many places, and almost everywhere it was horribly frowned upon. Humans and pokemon were never meant to be together in that way, and it bothered him. He feared that if they were together, then the world would try to tear them apart. He pushed the thoughts to the side, he figured she didn't think of him like that anyways. He figured that she was this way because of what she was. He's heard that Gardevoir are naturally clingy. They were known as the embrace pokemon after all. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen, the smell of cooked food wafted in the air. It smelled delicious.

He walked into the kitchen, seeing Celest standing at the stove. She was just finishing up the last of the food. She had her back to him.

Without skipping a beat, she said to him with her usual kind tone, " **Your plate is ready. I have it set for you at the table.** "

Eric looked over at the dinning table. A plate full of bacon, eggs, a side of hash browns, and pancakes waited for him. He sat down and began eating, it tasted amazing. She was natural cook, he had no idea where she learned it from. He scarfed down his eggs and bacon, and had started on the hash browns when Celest floated around him and sat her own plate of food down. She had prepared him a cup of coffee, made exactly as he liked it. She placed the cup down next to his plate. He smiled at her and took a sip.

"Thank you Celest. As always, the food is amazing!" He said. She smiled back at him as she started eating her own food.

" **Your welcome, it's always a pleasure.** " She responded. Her voice was like a chorus of angels in his head, " **Once you're done eating, we have to head to physical therapy. Your prosthetic is to be fitted today.** "

Eric nodded, he was glad to finally get it, "Yep, let's not waste any time shall we?"

Once they were done eating, they locked the house up and made their way down the street towards the hospital. It was a beautiful day out. Celest could never get used to it. She was used to seeing nothing but the inside of the mines at Iron Island where she was prisoner for most of her life. Now she got to see the beautiful blue sky, the clouds, and the tall buildings of Jubilife City where they lived. She was happy to finally be free. She was even happier she had Eric. She was floating along beside him as he hobbled along on his crutch. She knew he hated not being able to walk normally. They strolled down the street, enjoying the cool breeze. A local shop keeper was standing outside the door to his shop, he waved at them.

"Good morning Eric, good morning Celest. How's it going?" He smiled and called out to them. Eric and Celest waved back.

"Wonderful! About to go get myself a new leg!" Eric laughed and called back. Celest giggled to herself. Ever since moving to this city, they learned to love the people here. Everyone seemed so kind. News of what happened at Iron Island may not have been broadcast across national news, but it spread through the rumor mill nonetheless. When Eric arrived here, he was treated as a hero. He didn't feel like one, but thanked the people anyways.

They continued onward to the hospital, soon arriving at its door. They walked in and checked in at the front desk. A nurse soon arrived to escort Eric to a waiting room to be fitted with his prosthetic.

" **Eric, is it ok if I go relax at the park for a moment?** " Celest asked.

"Of course, go enjoy yourself for a little bit." Eric happily responded.

Celest made her way back out and floated to the park. Pokemon typically didn't roam around outside their pokeballs in the city, but the people didn't seem to mind her. Once at the park she went to the pond and watched people and their pokemon playing and relaxing together. Children ran about, giggling as they played. She sat at the edge of the pond and dipped the ends of her legs in the water and leaned back, supporting herself on her elbows. For a few moments she watched the people around her enjoy themselves, and then looked at the trees and flower bushes that dotted the park. She closed her eyes and listened to the commotion around her. She enjoyed the warmth of the sun as it shone through the clouds.

"Excuse me, are you Eric the Soldiers's Gardevoir?" a small voice asked her. She jumped from being startled and looked to see where the voice came from. It was a little boy.

" **Oh, yes I am. My name is Celest.** " She responded. The little boy smiled really big.

"Oh Wow! I heard he saved you from evil people and beat them all by himself using his pokemon to help him!" The boy excitedly cried out, his eyes sparkled.

Celest giggled to herself, " **Something like that.** "

The boy went to sit next to her, but then his mother came over and grabbed his wrist.

"Mark, I told you to stay close. You leave this poor Gardevoir alone, she's trying to rest." The mother said, look not at Celest, "I'm sorry, he can get excited sometimes."

Celest smiled at the mother, " **It's ok, I didn't mind it.** "

The mother walked away with the boy. Celest watched them as they left. She still felt awkward around humans, but slowly felt better because of Eric's support. Eric's image came back into her head, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She felt warm every time she thought about him, but never have felt these emotions before meeting him. They still confused her. **Why do I keep feeling this way when I think of him?** She thought to herself.

 _It's because you're in love with him._ A pokemon said to her. She jumped again and stood up, looking around for the source of the voice. An Alakazam came around from behind a tree, his eyes were closed. Celest blushed.

 _What are you talking about? I mean I do love him but not like that._ She said back, trying to defend herself.

Alakazam laughed. He opened his eyes, his stare was like knives. _Don't lie to yourself, I can sense the feelings you have for your human. That is more than just love for a friend. That's love for a mate._

Celest refused to meet Alakazam's gaze. She crossed her arms defensively. _Even if that were the case, I doubt he loves me like that back._

Alakazam raised one eyebrow. _You're telling me you haven't sensed the feelings he has for you? I can feel it just from you. He loves you in the same way you love him._

 _Even so, it wouldn't matter. Human/pokemon relationships are immoral. Wouldn't it be wrong for us to be together?_ Celest responded.

The Alakazam walked up beside her; he sat down and closed his eyes.

 _You shouldn't let the judgement of the world stand in your path. Love is love. It will always win one way or another. You just need to not fight it. I see not a thing wrong with the deep love between a pokemon and a human, for it is no different than the love two humans could share. It is no different than the love your parents shared._ He responded, slightly opening one eye and looking at her. Celest just stood there.

 **Maybe he's right...maybe I should say something to Eric...but what if this Alakazam is wrong and he doesn't love me back? I don't want to ruin what we already have together...** She thought to herself. She felt the Alakazam's presence in her head. She mentally pushed him away.

 _He does love you the way you love him, I can promise you that. You just need to find the right time to tell him._ He said to Celest.

 _How will I know it's the right time?_ Celest asked.

 _You'll know when it's right to tell him. Maybe instead he'll tell you._ Alakazam said. _You must figure that part out yourself. For now though, I must head back to my trainer. Farewell._

Before Celest could respond, Alakazam glowed and then teleported away. She stood there for another moment. **Does Eric really love me?** She thought. The butterfly feelings came back. Deep down, she sure hoped so. She began to head back to the hospital, happy to have that short talk with another physic pokemon.

Once back at the hospital, she walked into the waiting room and sat in one of the chairs. She glanced around the room at the potted plants and the decorative wallpaper that adorned the walls. Along the walls there was a strip of wallpaper about a meter off the speckled white floor. On the strip of wallpaper was depictions of chanseys and blisseys along with bandages. She found it cute. After a few moments passed, a nurse came walking through. She paused and looked at Celest quizzically. She looked around, as if to be expecting someone else to be in there with her. Then she looked back at the Gardevoir, who gave her a friendly smile.

"Um...where's your trainer?" The nurse asked.

" **He's currently being fitted for a prosthetic, and I decided to wait here for him.** " She responded. The nurse's eyes widened like she saw a ghost. Celest sighed, then said, " **I'm a psychic pokemon. I can speak using telepathy.** "

She wasn't used to the fact that not all pokemon couldn't speak to humans. She also knew that most humans weren't familiar with psychic powers. The nurse swallowed nervously.

"Yes...well...You can't be here by yourself. You can wait for your trainer outside...but not in here." The nurse stated, a light attitude in her voice.

Celest seem confused. She pointed at the door to the physical therapy rooms. " **But he's right in there, why can't I wait here?** "

"Unauthorized pokemon are not allowed in the waiting room. Please leave...now." The nurse said, slightly raising her voice.

A flash of anger hit Celest, but she kept calm.

" **Fine.** " She said plainly.

She stood and began to float to the door, then she heard Eric call out behind her.

"Celest wait!" he said.

She turned and saw Eric walking through the door, being followed by the lead nurse. He was wearing his new prosthetic, but was using his crutch since he was still learning to walk with it. He waved her into the room with him.

"Come on Celest," He said with a smile.

Celest stood still. She gave a quick glance towards the rude nurse.

" **This nurse told me that I had to leave. That pokemon were not allowed in here.** " Celest said, broadcasting the telepathy to Eric and both nurses.

Eric's gaze moved to the rude nurse, who's eyes widened with anger. She went to say something before the nurse beside Eric spoke up.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be? I'm sure it doesn't involve being here and pestering my patient's pokemon. She can be in here if she wants to." The lead nurse said.

The rude nurse gave a sour look at Celest, then huffed and walked off. The lead nurse walked up to Celest. She had an apologetic look in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. You are more than welcome to be in here with Eric if you wish." She told Celest, bowing her head.

" **It's okay...but why did she have to act like that?** " Celest asked.

"Some people just don't seem to like pokemon. Ignore her Celest." Eric spoke up. Celest could feel aggravation towards the rude nurse inside Eric's mind.

After a second, his mind eased. He smiled at her and reached his hand out, "Now, come on. I need to continue my physical training. Soon I won't need this stupid crutch anymore!"

Celest smiled at Eric and took his hand. He squeezed her hand then let go. He then turned to walk back into the room as the nurse held the door for him. He walked through it and Celest followed. As she passed the nurse, she smiled at her. Celest smiled back. She wanted to be with Eric to help him as he learned to walk with his prosthetic. She knew it would be a long road ahead.

* * *

 **That is the end of chapter 7! Things are being taken a little slow, but I assure you things will pick back up. I hope you're enjoying the story either way and I'll see you next time with chapter 8! Peace!**


	8. New Roads

**What's this?! Two chapters in one night? Lol, yep. I kinda got excited and wanted continue the story some more, so I decided to do a double release this week. I even managed to make this chapter a bit longer than normal. I hope you all enjoy the story so far! So here we are with chapter 8! For the usual notes: Bold is for thoughts and for Celest when she is speaking to a human. If it's her dialogue then it will be surrounded with quotations.** _Italics_ **are for when pokemon speak to each other. As a disclaimer, I do not own, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or any part of it. Anyways** **on to chapter 8!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: New Roads**

 **Two Years Later:**

Eric and Celest stepped off the ship. It was late in the evening. They have arrived at the Hoenn Region. Eric was able to walk normally with his prosthetic leg, most people wouldn't ever know if it wasn't for the shorts he was wearing. Celest had helped him a lot along the way. Many times he'd almost fall, but she was always there to pick him up. He couldn't ask for anyone better. Celest floated alongside Eric, she stared in awe at the land sprawled out before them. Their ship made port at Slateport City. She had never been here before she was born, but knew it was the first step to finding her lost sister.

She had revealed her knowledge of her sister to Eric a few months ago. She expressed that she had no idea if she was even still alive, but still faintly felt that she could be out there. She felt that she needed to know. Eric expressed that he wanted to help her find out, and that they were to head try to find her immediately. Now she was here, her stomach felt uneasy. She was nervous at to what they'd find out. Maybe they would find her, maybe they won't find anything. Either way, it made her uneasy. She felt Eric grab her hand and squeezed it. She looked down at their hands and then up at him. His smile made her worries melt away.

"You ok Celest?" He said, not breaking his smile. He let go of her hand.

" **...I'm fine.** " She said, shaking out of the trance she was in. " **I'm just a bit nervous is all.** "

"Don't worry about anything. I'm sure she's out there somewhere." Eric responded, "For now though, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat. We'll begin our search tomorrow."

Celest felt her stomach rumble at the thought of food.

" **Yes, now that I think about it. I'm starving.** " She giggled to herself. Eric began to walk to find a restaurant as she followed along, catching up to be beside him.

They quickly found a homely-looking port-side restaurant and walked in. It was themed like an old ship. Anchors, nets, large fishing hooks and flotation rings adorned the aged wooden walls. Eric and Celest waited by the front desk for a hostess to come by. The dining room looked packed, only a few empty booths seemed open. They waited another moment, then the hostess came quickly around the corner. She smiled at Eric, then seem confused when she saw Celest.

"Hello!...uh table for one?" The hostess asked awkwardly.

Eric seemed off-put by the question, but chose to ignore it.

"Booth for two please." Eric stated, nodding his head towards Celest. She had a bad feeling about this.

The hostess stared at them for a moment, then smiled again and said, "Ok then, right this way please."

They followed the hostess to the nearest booth. Eric sat down with Celest sitting across from him. The hostess dropped two menus onto the table and quickly walked away. Eric felt uneasy about it but began looking through the menu. Celest did the same, making note of what she'd want. After a few moments, a waiter approached their table.

"What drink can I get you sir?" the waiter said politely.

Eric told the waiter what he wanted. The waiter nodded then turned to walk away. Without skipping a beat, Eric reached out and gently grabbed the back of the waiter's shirt.

"Hold on man, you still need to get her drink." Eric said, not looking up from his menu. Celest could feel annoyance rising in him.

The waiter paused, then said, "Right..."

He looked at Celest, who refused to speak to him telepathically.

" **I just want a water,** " she told Eric.

Eric relayed the message to the waiter, who nodded and walked away.

"Prick..." Eric mumbled under his breath.

" **Ignore it, it's fine.** " Celest said, gently tapping Eric's leg with hers under the table.

A few moments passed, then a middle-aged man came stumbling up to the table. He was short and somewhat fat. He seemed to try to be intimidating.

"You!" He called out to Eric once he was at the table, "I'm the manager here. You need to leave, now."

"What for?" Eric responded, once again refusing to look up from the menu. He felt himself unconsciously gripping the menu tighter.

"We don't serve food to pets here, now leave!" The little man angrily said, pointing towards Celest. She felt offended at the term 'pet'.

"First, she's not a pet. And second, why? She isn't bothering anyone. We just want to eat. I'm paying for her food." Eric finally looked up and gave the man a look that could kill.

The manager's face burned red. He yanked the menu out of Eric's hands.

"Get out right now! We don't serve their kind here!" He yelled.

Eric was furious. He swung his prosthetic leg out from the booth and stood up. He got chest to chest with the manager. He was a full head and a half taller than the manager. They glared at each other. Eric felt himself ball his hands into fists. Celest spoke into his mind.

" **Don't do it Eric. It isn't worth it.** " She said. Eric didn't break his stare into the manager's eyes. After another moment he spoke.

"I didn't want to eat here anyways. Come on Celest, we'll find somewhere else to go. Maybe somewhere that doesn't have angry little men running it." Eric stated through gritted teeth. Celest went to stand up as well, but then heard a commotion around them. The other diners were getting loud.

"Hey asshole, the Gardevoir wasn't bothering anyone!" One diner yelled.

"He sounds like he hates pokemon!" Another yelled.

"It sounds like he doesn't want trainers in here either. I'm leaving!" One woman called out, holding up several of her pokeballs.

"Not only that, he seems to hate veterans too!" Another guy said, pointing out Eric's Defense Force shirt and prosthetic leg.

"I'm never eating here again!"

A lot of people angrily got up and began to leave. The manager tried in vain to make them stay, but to no avail. Eric and Celest smiled at each other, happy to see so many people standing up for them. They ended up leaving and quickly found another restaurant. There they were warmly welcomed and Celest was treated like any other customer. With their bellies full they decided to check into the local pokemon center for the night. On the way, Celest looked over at Eric, she could sense he was still mad about what happened.

" **Thank you for standing up for me Eric. I'm sorry we didn't eat at that first restaurant.** " Celest said.

Eric shook his head, then said, "Don't apologize Celest. It pisses me off that people can be so ignorant. You weren't bothering anyone. He's just a prick."

Celest stopped Eric, then hugged him. Her red blade-like protrusion stuck Eric in the chest. He didn't mind it though. He hugged her back.

" **Ignore him, he was just being stupid. I'm just happy you stood up for me.** " She said, burying her face in his shoulder.

Eric smiled and responded, "No problem. I would do anything for you. Now come on, we need to get to the pokemon center."

She nodded and released him from the hug. They continued on their way, making it inside the center.

They quickly found their room. Eric went to the bathroom and showered. Celest immediately collapsed on the bed. She was ready for sleep. She laid there for a moment, then heard the shower turn off. After a few more moments, Eric came out wearing only a pair of shorts. She fought back the urge to blush. He had gotten back into shape since getting his prosthetic, and it showed. He wasn't ripped by any means, but he was fit. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He turned the TV on. The Hoenn League tournament was going on at that time. They watched replays from the battles that occurred earlier that day for a few minutes. Eric yawned after awhile.

"Well we're finally here!" He said, patting Celest on the shoulder. She smiled at him.

" **Yes, I'm happy about it. I hope to find answers here.** " Celest responded.

"I'm sure you will. We'll find something out." Eric said. They watched the replays from the tournament for a few more moments, then Eric turned the TV off.

"I'm ready for bed. What about you?" He asked, stretching his arms.

Celest yawned, " **Yeah, I'm tired. Let's get some sleep.** "

Eric laid down and pulled the covers over him. Celest got in bed as well and cuddled up next to him. She had been sleeping in his bed more and more often. Eric didn't mind, and Celest always slept better. Eric wrapped one arm around her.

"Goodnight Celest," Eric said.

" **Sweet dreams Eric,** " Celest responded.

Eric slept soundly. In his dream, he was in a forest. It looked like the one he and Joe used to play in when they were young. Eric began walking, looking up at the tree tops. He could hear the sounds of wild pokemon around him, but he could see none. A clearing was up ahead, a small grassy field with a single large tree in the center. Eric approached it, reaching out and brushing his hand against its bark. He remembered this tree. Joe and him used to climb it all the time as children.

"Look at you, not even a missing leg is holding you back huh?" A familiar voice said.

Eric looked to see where it came from. Nobody was there.

"Up here man! Gotta keep an eye on your surroundings, I've always told you that!" The voice said again with a light chuckle.

Eric looked up, it was Joe. He was laying on a tree branch with his head resting against the trunk. He sat up, swinging his legs off the branch and jumped down to the ground. Eric knew this was probably just a dream, but he couldn't believe it nonetheless.

"Joe...are you ok?" Eric asked. He felt a lump in his throat.

Joe smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm alright man. I couldn't be better. I just thought I'd check up on you."

"It's good to see you man, even if this is just a dream or something." Eric said with a smile of his own. Joe chuckled again.

"Yeah. Listen man, I know it isn't easy. You've already been through a lot. Just know the road ahead is going to be tough. I can feel it." Joe said, his face took a more serious look. He crossed his arms, "I know you though. I know you're strong enough to take anything on. I have trust that you'll be able to handle and push through it. I'll be here to support you in spirit...literally I guess."

Eric couldn't find any words. Even in a dream, it was good to hear his friend's voice. Joe smiled again.

"I see you managed to save that Kirlia, and now she's a Gardevoir. Good job man." Joe said.

Eric nodded, "Yeah. I'm glad to have met her. We have been by each other's side since Iron Island."

Joe nodded as well and smiled even bigger. He placed his back to the tree and leaned against it, "I bet. I always did tell you that you'd find the perfect girl in your life. You two make a cute couple you know that?"

Eric's face reddened, "Whoa man it ain't like that...I, uh."

Joe laughed, then cut Eric off, "Come on now man I'm in your head. You love her, and I mean LOVE her. There's no kidding yourself."

"What, and you're okay with it?" Eric asked.

Joe just shrugged, he looked up at the sky, "I don't judge. You know, whatever suits you right? If you love someone and they love you back then there shouldn't be anything stopping you two from being together. I want you to be happy, and it's pretty clear she makes you happy. You should tell her how you feel."

Eric looked down at the ground. He also leaned against the tree. **Should I tell her?** He thought. **What if she doesn't love me back? I don't want to ruin anything we already have.**

"She loves you back dude, I can tell. You've seen how she acts around you. The way she blushes when you just simply compliment her or hold her hand. She's crazy for you man." Joe stated, pulling a tooth pick out of nowhere and chewing on it, "I ain't saying to tell her right as you wake up, but you need to tell her soon. You'll know when the time is right."

Eric nodded, then reached his hand out, "Yeah...thank you Joe. It was good talking to you."

Joe looked at Eric's hand, smiled, then took it. Instead of shaking hands though, Joe pulled Eric into a quick hug.

"Stay strong man. I'll always support you. You have more tough times ahead, but you'll be fine."

They released from the hug, Eric could feel tears collecting in his eyes. Joe took a few steps back.

"I have to go now. Stay strong, and go win your girl. You deserve each other. Goodbye Eric." Joe said as he started to fade away.

Eric waved, then thought of something. "Joe wait!...If you see Gyarados...tell him I'm so proud of everything he's done...and that I'm sorry."

Joe gave a thumbs up, then said, "Will do man; though I think he already knows."

Joe smiled again before vanishing in a flash of light. Eric was left alone again. He looked up at the tree. He let out a smile. The world around him began to swirl and blur as he woke up.

 **Morning:**

Eric yawned and stretched. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. The morning light shone through the windows. He glanced over and saw that Celest wasn't in bed. Then the smell of food wafted in his nose. He rose up in time to see Celest floating around the corner from the room's small kitchen. She was carrying a plate of eggs and bacon and a cup of coffee. She saw him awake and seemed surprised.

" **Oh you're awake! I was just about to get you.** " She smiled, laying the plate and mug down on the end table, " **It isn't much, but I know you like a good breakfast."**

Eric smiled, then was puzzled. He asked, "Thank you Celest, but where did you get the food at?"

She giggled, then responded, " **I may have 'borrowed' some money from you and made a quick trip to the store. I told them my trainer sent me to buy the stuff. It worked.** "

"Ah I see how you are," Eric said with a chuckle. He picked up his plate and took a few bites, "It's delicious as always."

Celest smiled warmly, then went to fix herself a plate. Eric watched her as she did. Her movements, her form, everything about her was so graceful. Everything about her was perfect. Every time Eric laid eyes on her, he only thought she was more beautiful. He blankly watched her for another moment when she suddenly noticed. She must have heard that thought because she glanced at him with a smile and blushed. Eric quickly snapped out of it and turned his attention back to his food, slight embarrassment flushing his cheeks. She came back with her own food and began eating as well.

"So..." Eric said, "Where did you say we should start our search?"

Celest looked at him for a second, then looked back down at her food. She took another bite then said, " **The forest around Route 102. That's where my parents lived and my sister's last known location. My mother has shown me mental images of where we lived, so I think I know where to go. She always told me to try to make it back when I escaped.** "

Eric nodded. He knew she missed her parents. During his stay at the hospital after Iron Island, she had told him about them. He didn't know about her father until she told him about his death a mere hour before her mother's. It angered him that there were people that were so evil that they'd do something cruel like that. He pushed the thought to the side.

"Alright then. Let's finish eating, clean up and get going." Eric said, finishing his coffee. Celest nodded with a look of determination.

Once they were done eating and cleaned up, they packed their belongings and headed on out. They caught a ride to Oldale Town, where they disembarked on foot on Route 102. The scenery was beautiful. The trees swayed gently in the breeze. Small pokemon skittered about. It was serene.

Celest closed her eyes and reached out with her psychic powers. Mental images of her parent's home came into her head. She could sense the way there. It was a good distance into the forest. She tried feeling for the presence of another of her kind. Nothing. She didn't let it get to her. She opened her eyes and pointed into the forest.

" **This way.** " She said, looking over at Eric. He nodded.

"Alright, let's go." He replied.

The two made their way into the woods. They pushed the dense brush out of their way as they walked among the trees. Leaves were heard being crunched underfoot with every step. As they walked, Celest had a ever-growing sense of familiarity, her mother's teachings had done her well. It was almost as if she grew up here. After a short time, they heard something.

"Celest, wait." Eric said, pausing to listen. Celest stopped as well, she concentrated on the noise. It was pokemon, several of them. They were moving towards them fast. A creature jumped out from the brush.

" **Eric watch out!** " Celest yelled, grabbing Eric and teleporting them both several yards away.

The pokemon landed where they stood only a split second ago. It was a Mightyena. It stared at the gardevoir and growled. Another Mightyena and a few Poochyenas came out from the brush as well.

"Watch out Celest...keep your guard up." Eric said, slowly reaching for a pokeball.

" **I got it.** " Celest stated, her eyes slowly panned across the pokemon. The lead Mightyena spoke up to her.

 _You...your scent is familiar...but I don't think we've ever seen each other have we?_ The Mightyena said with a growl.

 _We have not.. Now stand aside, my trainer and I have things to do._ Celest responded.

 _Hang on now...where might you be going? We haven't seen your kind in quite awhile, not since that puny Ralts._ The Mightyena said.

 _Ralts? What do you mean?_ Celest asked. She thought to herself. **I wonder...**

 _Over a year ago we were about to feast on a lone Ralts. Her parents had just disappeared...and you know, now I think about it...your scent is very similar to hers..._ The Mightyena said, grinning evilly.

 _What did you do to her?_ Celest demanded, her eyes glowing.

The Mightyena didn't respond, he only grinned and lunged to attack. Celest grabbed Eric again and teleported once more. Eric grabbed a pokeball and tossed it out.

"Garchomp, let's do it!" He yelled. The dragon pokemon gave out a roar. It had been too long since Garchomp was in a proper fight. He was ready. Eric called out to Celest, "Celest get back, let Garchomp handle it!"

" **No! I want to fight!** " Celest said, her eyes glowed with bright energy. Eric didn't respond, he only nodded.

"Alright then. Celest, use thunderpunch on the lead Mighyena! Garchomp, attack the other with dragon claw!" He yelled.

The two pokemon jumped into action. Celest moved right in front of the first Mightyena so fast it couldn't react. Her fist glowed and sparked with electric energy as she swung and hit the small pokemon, sending it flying back a short distance in a daze. Garchomp followed up with dragon claw on the other, slashing the Mightyena with his claws. The Poochyenas immediately felt they were outmatched and retreated, leaving their older and evolved forms to try and fight.

The two mightyenas recovered, the leader tried attacking Celest with crunch while the other went after Garchomp with bite.

"Guys dodge it!" Eric commanded. Celest teleported again while Garchomp leaped out of the way, "Now counterattack! Celest use moon blast, Garchomp attack with dragon rage!"

Celest charged a moon blast, launching it into the Mightyena and sending him slamming into a tree out cold. Garchomp unleashed a blast of blue energy from his mouth. That attack connected as it always did and knocked the other one out of the fight. Garchomp let out a roar of victory.

"Hell yeah, we still got it!" Eric cheered with a laugh. He patted Garchomp on head, thanking him before returning him to his ball. He looked to Celest, wanting to congratulate her, but she she was approaching the Mightyena as he was regaining consciousness.

Celest's eyes glowed again and she reached out with her hand. The Mightyena began to glow in an aura as he was lifted of the ground. She began to squeeze the Mightyena in her psychic grasp. Eric was shocked, he didn't know she was that powerful. Normally dark pokemon are immune to psychic powers. He saw that the Mightyena was being hurt in her grasp. He ran to her.

"Celest don't kill him! We won the fight it's okay!" Eric yelled.

" **This bastard did something with my sister!** " Celest yelled to Eric, then at the Mightyena, " **I want to know what the hell you've done with her!** "

Eric was shocked, he's never seen her this angry before. He could only watch.

 _We d...didn't kill her...s-she was s-saved by a human child._ The Mightyena managed to say. Celest tightened her grasp and the Mightyena felt he was being crushed.

Celest read the pokemon's mind...and sensed he was telling the truth. She began to loosen her psychic grip. _Where is she?_ She demanded to know.

 _I-I don't know. The child ran us off and took her...please spare me, I promise not to bother you again._ The Mightyena begged.

"Celest, please. Let him go...don't hurt him. I promise you, you don't want to live with the burden of having killed another living being. Don't do this to the mightyena, it will haunt you for the rest of your life." Eric pleaded.

Celest snapped out of her trance, and realized what she was doing. She immediately let the pokemon go, who then took off with his partner as fast as they could. She looked at her hands in disbelief and dropped to her knees. She began to cry. Eric went over and knelt down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. She buried her face in his chest.

" **I'm...I'm so sorry...** " Celest said sobbing. She squeezed her eyes shut, " **I couldn't control myself...I just...I thought he had hurt my sister and I couldn't control it...** "

"Shh, it's okay Celest. It's alright." Eric said, trying to sooth her, "You didn't hurt him, you're fine."

Celest refused to look at him. She kept her face buried in his chest, "I almost killed another pokemon...I'm no better than Team Galactic."

Eric held her out at arm's length. He placed his hands on either side of her face and wiped away her tears. She finally looked him in the eye.

"Don't say that. Don't ever say that. You are not like Team Galactic. You are amazing. You are kind and loving. I promise you."

Celest continued to look him in the eye. She sensed that he was telling her the truth. She felt better. She collapsed back into him, placing her head on his shoulder and hugged him.

" **Thank you Eric. I'm so happy I have you.** " She said.

Eric ran his hand through her hair, saying, "I'm happy to have you as well Celest. Now come on, let's keep moving, okay? It'll be dark soon."

She released him from the hug and nodded. Eric stood up and grabbed her hand as she stood. Celest looked around her as she sensed where to go. She then pointed.

" **That way.** " She said, wiping the rest of her tears away.

The two continued their walk in relative silence. Within time, and just as the sun fell and the moon rose, they came up on a cave. Celest stared at it in wonder.

" **We're here...this was my family's home.** " She said.

Eric pulled out his flashlight and shone it into the cave. Not quite what he was expecting, though he didn't know what to expect at the same time.

"We found it. How do you feel?" He asked.

She floated into the cave's entrance. She had never been here before, but it felt familiar to her. Eric entered as well, grabbing some sticks and other pieces of wood beforehand and began to build a fire inside the cave for the night.

" **I don't know...I'm happy we found it, but I still feel like we haven't accomplished anything.** " She said, feeling down.

Eric lit the fire, then went to her side, "Did you manage to learn anything from that Mightyena? You two obviously discussed your sister it seems."

She looked around at the cave's walls, then responded. " **She isn't around here anymore. She was caught by a young trainer. I thought that maybe coming here would do something for me...but I don't know...maybe it was a mistake to come here.** "

Eric shook his head, "No, you had to find something out and you did. You know she's still alive and out there."

Celest went over by the cave wall and sat down. Eric followed her and sat beside her.

" **Do you think her trainer is good to her?** " Celest asked worriedly.

Eric nodded, placing his arm around her, "I'm sure whoever has her is taking the best care of her."

Celest let a small smile break across her face. She rested her head on Eric's chest. The two sat there for a short moment, watching the fire.

Eric stared at the licks of flame. **Maybe now I should tell her how I feel? Maybe the time is right.** He thought to himself.

Celest at that moment read his thoughts, and she felt her heart skip a beat. **Is he wanting to say what I think he is?** She thought, her heart rate increased.

Another second of silence followed, then Eric spoke up, "Celest, there's something I think I need to tell you..."

Celest looked up at him, trying to hide her excitement. Their eyes met. Her red eyes sparkled in the fire's light.

" **What is it Eric?** " She asked.

"Well...you see...We've known each other for a little bit and I've...ugh I don't know how to word it..." He said, struggling to find his words.

Celest smiled and giggled, " **Then just say it. I'm here for you.** "

Eric nodded and swallowed, "Right, well the truth is...Celest I-"

He was interrupted, a loud clang was heard outside, followed by several small canisters rolling across the cave floor towards them. The canisters violently began spewing a white mist.

"Shit! Tear Gas!" Eric yelled. He grabbed Celest and ran outside with her. The tear gas filled the cave within seconds. The mist burned their eyes and throats. It felt like fire filled their lungs as they ran out of the cave.

As soon as they ran into the clearing, they both dropped to the ground gasping for air. Eric attempted to stand again, but he stumbled and fell once more reaching for Celest. She was coughing and hacking, then she looked up. Several uniformed figures had them surrounded. Her vision was blurred but she still recognized their clothes as she froze in fear. It was Team Galactic. Mars was standing in front of the others, a large grin spread across her face.

"Look at who we found." Mar said, laughing to herself, "The two who managed to set back our plans and make my life a living hell. Do you have any idea what kind of punishments I had to endure after what you two caused? I almost thought I'd never be able to find either of you, but when our scouts spotted you two boarding a ship for Hoenn I couldn't resist a trip. I figured the gardevoir would want to go home sooner or later."

Eric tried again to stand, he wiped the burning tears from his eyes as he ran forward to attack Mars. Right as he got within feet of her, he suddenly stopped. His body glowed in an aura as he was froze in place. He looked past Mars and saw an Espeon holding him in place with psychic. Mars laughed again.

"I'm not after you. I'm here for the Gardevoir. The boss wants her alive, as much as I'd like to kill both of you." Mars said.

Celest managed to get to her feet. Her eyes glowed with power when she saw Eric was froze in place. She reached out and grabbed several of the Team Galactic grunts with her own psychic powers and tossed them away like toys. She then charged a shadow ball, aiming it right for Mars.

" **Let him go! Right now!** " Celest demanded in a dark tone. She threw the shadow ball.

The ball of energy flew to its target, but then hit a Charizard that jumped in the way. The fire pokemon dropped from the hit, then angrily got back up. It was the same Charizard from Iron Island. Its eyes burned with hate, but stood its ground as Celest then grabbed it with psychic. She slammed the Charizard to the ground and then threw it high into the air. She went to slam it down again but felt her grasp break as a purple energy field surrounded her. She was caught in an electronic cage. She charged a shadow ball and threw it at the cage wall, but to no effect.

Mars laughed as a Team Galactic helicopter appeared over the tree tops and landed in the clearing, "There's no point in fighting Gardevoir. You're coming with us, and this time there won't be a soldier to save you."

She took a step forward towards Eric, saying through gritted teeth, "I want your death to be long and horrible."

She drew her pistol and shot him twice in the torso. Eric yelled out in horrid pain as the Espeon then dropped him from the psychic grip. He writhed on the ground in pain.

" **ERIC NO!** " Celest screamed. It was as if she felt the same bullets. She threw several more shadow balls at the cage's interior, but it failed to have any effect.

Mars looked down at Eric as she grinned evilly. "Stay here and suffer."

She waved towards the helicopter, motioning her men to get on board. They loaded Celest onto it and took off, leaving Eric to die.

Eric managed to fight through the pain and stood. He clutched his wounds where the bullets hit him. He could feel blood covering his hands and drenching his clothes. He looked and watched powerlessly as the helicopter left.

"CELESTIAL!" Eric screamed. He felt himself getting light-headed and collapsed again. He fought to keep consciousness but then passed out.

* * *

 **And that is it for chapter 8! Kind of a cliffhanger but it isn't over yet! What's going to happen? Only way to know is to find out next week with chapter 9! Until then, Peace! ;D**


	9. Suffering

**We're here at chapter 9! Please keep in mind that this chapter does contain things that some readers may find disturbing. Remember as usual: Bold is for thoughts or Celest speaking. If it's her then there will be quotations around her dialog.** _Italics_ **indicate pokemon speaking to one another. That is all I have for now, let's get on with chapter 9!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Suffering**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains a scene of sexual violence (rape). Another warning will be given at that section.**

 **A few days after the events of New Roads:**

Celest sat in her cell. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her slender legs. She had no more tears to shed. She glanced around at the cell that imprisoned her, and past it at the barren and rocky walls that made up the caves of the vast Stark Mountain range. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. She felt there was no hope left in her. It had been two weeks since being captured by Team Galactic. Two weeks since seeing Eric, the one she loved, being left to die. His image entered her head for the thousandth time, and she felt the urge to cry again. She had lost the only person left in her life. He was left there by that cave to die slowly...she had hoped he passed quickly, he didn't deserve any suffering. She knew she wasn't ever going to see him again, and the thought only made her feel worse. She lowered herself onto her side and to the cold, dusty ground and tried once more to sleep, though she knew it would only prove to be another sleepless night.

Mars walked by the Gardevoir's cell. She paused, looking over at the pokemon curled up in the back of the cell. The sad sight made a grin spread across Mars's face. She wanted nothing more than to just kill the thing and move on, but seeing her suffer brought her some form of enjoyment. Cyrus wanted her alive as his own personal toy, and his wishes were best granted. It was the only thing keeping her from just ending the pokemon's life for her own personal enjoyment. **At least I finally took care of that bastard soldier.** She thought to herself before continuing on.

She continued walking along through the cavern's passages, heading to her personal quarters. The mountain range of Stark Mountain has served as one of many secret bases for Team Galactic for years. It was favored for its remote location and the slew of wild pokemon from which to harvest subjects for their inhumane experiments. As Mars walked to her quarters, she passed a group of grunts huddling and chatting around a few overturned crates. As soon she was noticed, the grunts jumped to attention and went about on their duties. She scoffed and shook her head, momentarily gritting her teeth.

"What are you idiots doing? You're supposed to be watching the Gardevoir! Take her to the lab now!" She yelled at the three grunts.

"Yes ma'am! Moving ma'am!" The lead grunt yelled with a salute. They took off towards the pokemon's cell. Mars shook her head again. Those three eagerly volunteer to guard their captive for whatever reason, but then don't...She'd have to take care of them later. She turned and continued towards her quarters.

Back at the cell, Celest continued to lay still. All she could think about was how she felt she had failed Eric. That she thought it was all her fault he was dead and that she was back in Team Galactic's clutch. She sobbed silently to herself without tears and held her eyes tightly shut, not knowing if she wanted to live any longer.

She laid there motionless for several moments, then heard footsteps approaching her. She looked up, three grunts stood over her.

"Well hello gorgeous," one of them said, before stomping on her head and rendering her unconscious.

 **The next day:**

Celest's head pounded. She reached up to hold her head but her hand hit something metal. She opened her eyes and saw black glass over her eyes, shading anything she saw like sunglasses. She was laying on a medical bed inside a laboratory. She looked down at herself. Most of her body was covered in shiny metallic plates. Wires protruded from every piece, weaving like snakes over the smooth surfaces. Blinking LED lights flickered on and off above the black visor that served as her viewing port out of the infernal helmet.

"Awake already it seems," said a voice with a chuckle.

Celest looked over and saw a tall man with blue hair. It grayed out in some places, giving him the appearance of being in his late thirties or early forties. He gave a slight grin as he approached her. He wore the usual uniform most Galactic members wore.

"I am the leader of Team Galactic...and your new master," Cyrus said with an evil tone.

Celest jumped off the table, floating several centimeters off the floor. Her eyes glowed as she tried to grab Galactic's leader. He laughed as her own attack turned on her and she was thrown to the ground. She slowly rose back up as he held out a remote.

"Foolish creature. You have no free will anymore. You are under my control now." He said, pressing a button on the remote. The armor gave off signals, ones that made her head pound horribly as she she screamed in pain and dropped to her knees. He kept laughing at her torment until he ordered the pain to stop. She stayed on her knees, unable to fully believe what was happening. She couldn't use her powers anymore at her own will...only when forced to.

Cyrus walked up to her, kicking her onto the floor and onto her side. She weakly looked up at him.

"You understand now...there's no point in trying to fight back. You're mine now, and you will do as I say." Cyrus said, looking down at her with no emotion in his face.

About that time, Mars and the three grunts from yesterday entered the lab.

"Are we ready for the testing, Commander?" Cyrus asked, looking over his shoulder at Mars.

"Yes Master Cyrus, we are ready to commence the tests." Mars replied. She then waved towards Celest while looking at the grunts, "You three, take her to the arena."

The three grunts nodded. They moved to Celest and lifted her. The group then walked out of the lab and down several hallways. Eventually they made it to an arena. Celest looked around, seeing Cyrus and Mars off on the sidelines watching. The grunts tossed her to the ground. She laid there in a heap, then slowly stood up. She then felt the armor take control of her, forcing her to stand straight.

On the other end of the arena was an Alakazam. He stood ready to fight her. Seeing that psychic pokemon brought a tear to her eye. It reminded her of the one that she talked to before, in a happier time that seemed now so long ago. The Alakazam attacked her psybeam. She held up her hands, but not due to her own actions. The armor took her over as it made her use protect. The purple barrier popped up and surrounded her, stopping the attack. Her head then pounded as she was forced to attack back with psychic. She groaned in pain as she overdid the attack, grabbing the Alakazam and slamming it into a wall. Bones could be heard snapping as the Alakazam dropped to the floor unconscious.

"Good...but too easy...another one." Cyrus said as Mars looked on with a grin.

A Blastoise walked out and onto the arena. It didn't waste time and fired a hydro pump at Celest. Her head hurt, then she teleported. The shellfish pokemon fired again and again, and she teleported every time just before it hit her. She didn't want to fight, but each time she tried to stop pain hit every nerve in her body. She truly felt as if she had no control or free will. It was pure agony. She then was made to attack back with thunder punch. She teleported right in front of the Blastoise, knocking it out with a single over-charged hit. Her own attack caused physical pain to her. She was being forced to put more energy into the attacks than she safely could.

Cyrus chuckled, slowly clapping his hands. "Impressive, but I want to see more...keep them coming. I want to see the fullest extent of her powers."

Celest felt devastated. She felt like there was no way out. Any ounce of hope she may have had was completely gone. She would be stuck in Galactic's control until she died. The armor hurt her, forcing her to concentrate on the fights. Pokemon after pokemon. Fight after fight. She defeated them all. Even ones her type were weak against; she unwillfully and painfully beat every challenger into submission. Shadow ball, psychic, moon blast, thunderpunch. She used every attack she knew, and used them all far beyond what she safely could. Her entire body hurt. Her body was screaming for the fighting to stop. She just wanted it all to end. Then finally Cyrus held out his hand, motioning the fights to stop. Celest then felt all her remaining strength drain as she fell to the ground in a heap.

"That's enough for today." He said, waving Celest away, "Take her back to her cell. There's much planning to be done."

The three grunts ran over and began dragging her. On the way to her cell, they were talking to one another. Then one turned to her.

"Back to your new home you go...I think we should all celebrate your victories..." He said, a sick grin spreading across his face. That disgusting stare gave her the most sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. All she could do was cry and hope she wasn't heard.

 **Two weeks later:**

Eric slowly regained consciousness. He was once again in a hospital. **How?...** Eric thought. He slowly sat up; his torso was sore. He looked around the room, then down at himself. He had two large white bandages where he was shot.

 **How in the hell did I get here?** He thought to himself.

The door to the room opened. Through its threshold entered a man Eric had not seen in awhile. His appearance shocked him.

"Sergeant?" Eric asked groggily. The sunlight leaked into the room through the windows, filling it with a warm yellow light.

"Looks who's awake. That's twice you owe me now, you know that?" Sgt. Burke responded.

Eric couldn't believe it, how was it possible?

"Wait-what? What happened?" Eric asked, "How did I end up here?"

Burke walked over to Eric's bedside and pulled up a chair. He sat and leaned back, looking out the window.

"Ever since what happened at Iron Island I could not forgive myself for the soldiers that were lost." He began, his voice low and sullen, "I had to avenge our fallen brothers. Since that day, I've been following and spying on our enemy. When I saw their commander go to the Hoenn Region, I decided to follow her."

The light of the sun shone between the blinds covering the window, casting horizontal lines of shadow across Burke's face as he paused. He looked at Eric before continuing.

"I followed them all the way to where they ambushed you. I hunkered down and waited for them to leave before running out. You had already lost consciousness before I got to you though." Sgt. Burke said as he continued, "I patched you up and carried you to the nearest town. There we got a ride to the local hospital. You had lost a large amount of blood, and the medical staff was forced to keep you under until you were stable. Once you were declared stable you were moved back to Sinnoh."

Eric nodded, then asked, "How long have I been out?"

Burke simply responded without a change in emotion or tone, "Two weeks."

Eric was aghast, he could only stare at his old sergeant incredulously. **Two weeks? Has it really been that long?...** He wondered. Then he suddenly remembered something. Celest's image appeared in his head.

"Celest!" He cried out. Sgt. Burke seemed startled by the sudden outburst, "Those bastards have Celest! I have to try and save her!"

Eric began to jump out of bed, his wounds were still sore and throbbed in pain. He searched for his prosthetic, but Burke laid his hands on Eric's shoulders and slowly tried to push him back onto the bed.

"Hahn, I know it's a lot to take in...but I don't think your Gardevoir is alive. The enemy is known to experiment on pokemon, and then killing them." He slowly said.

Eric stared at him in disbelief. He shook his head, "No Sgt., she's still alive. I know it. Their leader wanted her alive for a reason. Otherwise they would have killed her already...And if she is dead...then I won't stop until they all are too."

Burke respected the soldier. He smiled to himself. He looked at Eric's bandages. Seeing the large, white clothes wrapped around the young soldier's torso didn't inspire confidence in his condition.

"Even so...you're in no condition to fight right now. You need to rest," he said.

Eric shook his head. He didn't care what condition he was in. He was hellbent to find Celest. "That is not going to stop me Sergeant. I'm going after her no matter what."

The room was silent for a few moments. The two soldiers had their eyes locked onto each other. Burke watched as he saw a fire burning in Eric's eyes. He saw fierce determination to find and protect the pokemon he had swore to defend, but he also saw something else. He had a slight hint, but decided not to push the thought. Finally the Sergeant sighed and responded, "You don't give up do you?...Alright then, but don't expect to just go in and win. You'll need help."

Eric gave Burke a quizzical look, "Who? The police are not going to do anything, and the Defense Force can't get involved anymore because of the political backlash it faced after the last time. So beside you personally, who could possibly help?"

Sgt. Burke smiled again. He patted Eric on the shoulder and then stood and walked to the other side of the room. From there, he retrieved Eric's prosthetic leg and handed it to him. Eric began attaching it to the scarred stump below his knee.

"I know a few people who could help...but we'll need time to recon things out and find where the enemy hides, but we'll find her yet." Sgt. Burke reached into his pocket and retrieved a small electronic device. He gave it a quick glance. "Get dressed and come on. It's going to be a long road ahead."

Sgt. Burke finished his statement and began for the door. Eric only responded with a silent but determined look, followed with a nod.

 **One week later: WARNING: This section contains sexual violence. Please continue to 'The next day:' section below if you wish not to read this.**

 **They're back...didn't they already have their fun for today?** Celest thought to herself, shivering.

She was chained up in her cage. The rough stone walls scrapped against her back. There wasn't anything interesting to look at in her cell, except for the occasional rusted pipe that carried water throughout the hidden base. When she wasn't being forced to fight for Cyrus's amusement in pitted battles, she was bound by chains to the wall here.

She shivered again as one of the disgusting grunts grabbed her as the others kept watch. She closed her eyes and retreated back into her mind where she felt safest. There she could try to block out the feeling of the grunt inside her as he had his sick fun raping her. Only within her mind could she run away. After several agonizing moments, the grunt's movements picked up speed and his guttural moans meant he was almost done. She continued to stay inside her safe space as he finished, and the next took his turn, then the next...

She hated them. She hated the sick violation she was forced to endure nearly every day at the hands of these horrid people. She felt she hated herself most of all. She still felt she had let herself into this situation, and she still felt she was at fault for Eric's death.

As the last grunt took his time, moving into her like she was his prize, she had only one thing to like about her helmet. It allowed her to hide the one thing left she still considered hers. The helmet covered her eyes. Even under the black glass of the helmet's visor, her crimson eyes were still there. They still glowed with a slight blue aura. Her irises were still the same ruby color they always were. It was the last piece of innocence she had left, and she wanted to protect it.

Finally they were done for the time being. She felt a sense of relief, but also disgust. She could feel the humans' fluids running down her legs after they had their "fun". They hit her with a blast of water from a hose that laid nearby. Then, laughing and feeling good for their selves, the grunts left her wet and cold. She pulled slightly against the chains that bound her wrists to the wall of her cage. She felt she couldn't go on anymore. She wanted out of this life. She was done.

 **The next day:**

Eric sat impatiently. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, counting the seconds, the minutes. He was tired of waiting. After a week of searching, a week of interrogating grunts they've captured during their recon; they think they finally found where Celest was being kept. Now he just had to wait while Sgt. Burke planned their attack. Eric couldn't stand the wait, he tapped his foot against the floor of the patio repeatedly. Finally he stood up from his seated position on the wooden bench and opened the front door to Burke's home. He walked inside, paying no attention to the various decorations and trinkets that were lazily placed around his sergeant's front room. The TV was on, tuned to some channel peddling various and useless kitchen wares. Nobody else was in the room, and Eric huffed out of annoyance. He continued into the hallway; moving past the small, modest bathroom, past the bedrooms and to the last door. It was closed, and Eric placed his ear to its sanded-smooth wooden surface. He could hear a distant conversation on the other side. **Who could Burke be talking to?** Eric asked himself. He listened more, not able to understand the muffled voices. Then, he could hear someone approaching the door from the other side.

Eric stepped back a couple meters, then leaned against the wall of the hallway. The door clicked as it unlocked, then opened quickly. Sgt. Burke came through like he was in a hurry, nearly running into Eric. Burke stopped in his tracks, clearly surprised at the young soldier's unexpected appearance.

"Oh, Hahn! Ha!" The sergeant exclaimed, placing his hand on Eric's shoulder, "You scared the shit out of me! Haha!"

Eric didn't smile, he only simply asked, "Is everything ready to go? I'm tired of waiting while she's in danger."

Burke's face turned to a look of seriousness. The wrinkles on the old sergeant's face creased as he frowned. He gripped Eric's shoulder tighter.

"We're just about ready to go. I was on my way to get you." Burke said, pulling Eric into following him down the stairs and into the house's basement.

The two soldiers made their way down the stairs. At the bottom, it opened up into a small concrete room. The musty smell that accompanied most basements was not absent here. The floor lacked any covering, save for a brown rug that laid out in the center of the room. On top of the rug, a shambling table stood. Various items, such as papers and a projector covered the table as a single bulb gave a dim yellow light to the room as it hung from its thin wire. Standing around the table were two others. One was Johnson, the other soldier who managed to survive Iron Island. He was young, like Eric, but his face had the creases and wear of a man much older than himself. Dark shadows were cast under Johnson's eyes. After Iron Island, Johnson elected to stay in with Sgt. Burke until the dismissal of the Defense Force. Even then, Johnson stayed by Burke's side as they continued their vigilante fight against the terrorist organization.

Eric nodded to Johnson, who curtly returned the nod. The other person, a woman, Eric only recognized once he got a good look at her. Her hair, that which partially covered her face, flowed down past the small of her back. She wore a long black coat, its cuffs and edges covered in black puffs of fur. One visible grey eye looked at Eric, the other hidden by her blonde hair. She gave a small smile of friendliness as Eric remembered who she was.

"Wait, aren't you?..." Eric said, unable to finish his sentence.

The woman gave a slight bow of the head, her smile widening.

"I am Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh League," she said.

"Cynthia is an important ally for us to have. She has taken an interest in the same group we have been hunting. She worried they meant no good." Sgt. Burke said, gesturing towards the Champion.

"And my worries seem to have materialized into something more serious." Cynthia stated, resting her hands on the table, "If from what data we've collected is true, then Team Galactic is planning to use the gardevoir they've stolen from our friend here to capture the Lake Guardians. They've already succeeded in getting one by using her."

Behind the champion, a white screen came to life as the video projector flickered on. A video played; it was recorded at Lake Valor, showing the Lake Guardian, Azelf, being beaten mercilessly by a force unknown. Then, the camera panned over to show another pokemon with several Team Galactic grunts on either side of her. It was Celest. She was covered in metal plates, connected to each other in a series of wires and cables with a helmet hiding her head and face. She was glowing in a purple aura as her own powers overcame Azelf, the legendary pokemon. Celest appeared in a state of constant pain as she clearly had no control over her movements, being forced to use her powers past what she safely could. An audible scream of agony could be heard coming from her as she was forced to attack again. Then it showed Galactic members rushing the Lake Guardian, capturing it in an electronic cage not unlike the one that caught Celest. It then came to an abrupt end. The video hit Eric like a knife, he could feel his heart being wrenched at the sight. **How could I let her get captured by these monsters? I promise I will save you Celest...I just hope you can forgive me.**

Eric fought to hold back tears. He then said in a low and shaken voice as it rose to a hurt and angered yell, "I have to save her, those fuckers are hurting her!"

He slammed his fist on the table, it rattled with the hit. His head hung low as he couldn't begin to imagine the pain Celest was in. Cynthia placed her hand on his. Eric looked up into her eyes as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"I promise you we'll save her. We'll all be at your side the whole way." She said with a voice as soft as a mother's.

Eric looked around the room at the others. Sgt. Burke stood with his arms crossed. He gave a slight smile to reassure his fellow soldier. Johnson gave another curt nod to Eric, looking determined to help stop Galactic. He felt better, knowing he had friends to back him up in his time of need. He would make sure to stop Galactic and bring Celest home and into his arms no matter what.

"We have some final preparations to make," Sgt. Burke said, "then we'll be ready to head out."

"When?" Eric asked. He was done waiting.

"Tonight we leave," Cynthia said, pointing to a map of Sinnoh that was spread out on the table. She pointed to a point on the map that was circled.

"That's were we know the enemy is hiding. Your squad leader managed to plant a GPS bug on their helicopter as they took the Lake Guardian and your Gardevoir to their base." Cynthia continued. The point circled on the map was at a remote location in the mountain ranges of Stark Mountain.

"And that's exactly where we'll be heading as well," Sgt. Burke cut in, "We know their base is underground much like the base they had on Iron Island. With that mountain range being a part of an active volcano, the area probably isn't the most stable. So we'll go in, rescue any pokemon we find, and level the whole base with demo charges."

Burke pointed to the other side of the room. Piled in the corner was several demolition charges and a few rifles. Eric was shocked at his squad leader's arsenal.

"Sgt., that's government property! How in the hell did you get all that?" Eric asked in a shocked manner.

Burke laughed, then replied, "Sometimes some things go 'missing'. Some of those rifles were recovered from the fallen at Iron Island. The explosives were actually stolen by Galactic forces...I just happened to steal it back."

Eric grinned, he was gaining more confidence in what was going to happen.

"Well alright then," Eric said, straightening his stance, "Why don't we get down to business and kick some ass?"

The others smiled and looked around at each other, they all seemed ready.

"Sounds good soldier," Sgt. Burke said with pride in his voice, "Oh, and Hahn?"

Eric looked at him, his eyebrow raised in question.

"It's good to serve with you again." The sergeant said with a grin.

 **Three hours later:**

The helicopter was nearing the Battle Zone. The large island stretched for several miles, with the Stark Mountain range grouped in a massive cluster in the center of the of land mass. Eric stared out the window as the helicopter rushed through the clouds. His face showed no signs of emotion; he just stared out the window with a blank expression. After a moment, Cynthia tapped him on the arm, breaking him from his trance. He looked over at the Champion.

"You seem worried. That Gardevoir must mean a lot to you," she said with a look of sincerity on her face.

Eric replied, "She means the world to me. I saved her from Iron Island after both her parents were murdered by these same freaks."

He looked away, sadness crept into his voice, "I promised I would protect her from all danger...and I failed. I have to rescue her."

Cynthia rested her hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile, "She'll be ok. We'll get her out of there. I promise you that."

Eric looked her in the eyes. He managed a smile back at her. After a moment, she clicked her radio to talk to the pilot.

"How close are we?" She asked.

The radio crackled, then a voice came over it.

"We'll be touching down in 5 minutes ma'am," the pilot responded.

"Alright let's do this. Lock and load!" Sgt. Burke ordered, charging his rifle.

Eric and Johnson followed suit, they chambered the lethal rounds in their rifles. They brought with them no stun rounds; they'd have to rely on Cynthia's pokemon to tackle any hostile pokemon along the way. She didn't have a rifle for herself, saying she didn't need one as long as she had her pokemon. Around Eric's waist, he wore his old trainer's belt. On it, the pokeballs of his own were at the ready.

The helicopter made its landing at a clearing on the northern end of Stark Mountain. The four humans on board leaped from its belly and it took off into the sky.

"I'll be posting back in town on the southern end of the island. Give me a call when you need picked up," the pilot called over the radio.

"Sounds good, you'll hear from us," the Champion replied. She then reached for one of her pokeballs. Eric noticed and followed suit. He figured the more pokemon they had deployed, the better. They both tossed their pokeballs.

"Garchomp, go!" The two called out in unison. The two dragon-types were released from their pokeballs. Eric's garchomp let out a roar, followed by Cynthia's. The two pokemon looked at each other in satisfaction.

The Champion and Eric also gave each other a surprised look. Then they both smiled and laughed.

The four humans then glanced around at each other, all nodding in affirmation that the mission was a-go. Eric began to move towards the mountains, but Burke grabbed his arm. Eric felt a pang of aggravation for a moment. He turned to his squad leader.

"What now Sgt.?" Eric asked, annoyance creeping in his voice. Sgt. Burke pointed to the wood line around them. From the shadows, more than a dozen people revealed themselves. They wore a mismatch of camo and civilian clothing, and were all armed. Eric recognized most of them; they were all soldiers from the Defense Force. Two of the soldiers approached their group.

"Sgt. York, Alpha squad." York said, shaking Sgt. Burke's and Eric's hands.

The other did the same with a grin, "Sgt. Cummings, Charlie squad. We're all ready for action Staff Sergeant."

Sgt. Burke nodded, "Good, let's get moving. There's no time to waste."

Eric looked at Sgt. Burke, confused. He then asked, "I thought the Defense Force couldn't get involved?"

Sgt. York answered the question with a wicked grin, "Who said anything about the Defense Force getting involved? All I see here is a bunch of soldiers hanging out while off duty."

The group laughed, then they got serious as they moved to get things started. Sgt. Cummings paused and looked at Eric. Eric couldn't make eye contact; he felt shame at the Sergeant's stare. Cummings gripped Eric's shoulder, a look of sympathy and understanding on his face.

"It's good to see you again Eric. It really is. So let's do this...let's kick some ass and avenge my little brother," Cummings said.

Eric looked up at Joe's older brother. He nodded. Sgt. Cummings smiled again and then turned and ran to meet up with his squad. Sgt. York jumped up onto a rock so everyone around could hear him.

"Alright lads! The Defense Force may not be 'officially' here, but we have a job to do and the fire in our hearts to defend our homes still burns hotter than a Magmar's ass!" Sgt. York yelled to the soldiers, "They got a taste of Bravo Squad at Iron Island and ran away like cowards when we got there! So let's get in there and introduce Alpha and Charlie squads to those poor bastards!"

"OORAH!" All the soldiers hollered in unison.

The twenty soldiers formed up, weapons at the ready as they made their way towards Galactic's base. The three sergeants took point, with Eric and the Champion right behind them. Cynthia looked over at Eric, a confident grin spread across her face. She held out her fist towards him. Eric gave it a glance, then back up at her. He grinned as well, returning the fist-bump she offered. He felt the fire in his heart burn brighter.

 **I'm on my way Celest...hang in there.** Eric thought.

 **A short time later:**

The back of her helmet hit the wall as Celest yanked her head back in pain. She gritted her teeth. She tried to kick the grunt away from her, but then a bolt of lightening ran up her body and she screamed in pain. The other grunt laughed and hit her with the cattle prod again, sending more of the agonizing jolts of energy into her. She instinctively tried to use her powers, but her head started pounding as the helmet and armor stopped her.

"Come on sweetheart, we figured you'd love this by now!" One of the grunts said with a wicked grin, the others laughing. They sprayed water on her, then hit her again with the cattle prod. She screamed in agony and went limp. She felt her strength just drain.

"Hurry up, we don't have time. We have to be at chow soon. We'll deal with her later," another of the grunts then said. The first one dismissively waved him off, balling his hands into fists. He swung hard, punching Celest in the gut. The two grunts were silent as they watched.

The hit knocked the air out of her. She let out a yelp of pain as she wanted to double over but couldn't due to the chains holding her wrists up. She knew she was spared from the grunts' other "fun" for the time being, but that they'd be back soon. She was tired of it all, she just wished they'd kill her already. **Why must this happen?** She thought as tears ran down her face.

The time passed painfully slow. She took several more hits to her abdomen, then it was over for now. The grunt stepped back, rubbing his knuckles and stretching his hands after throwing the hits.

"Next time beauty...don't fight us so much...I'll be back to get what I want later," he said with an evil laugh. Suddenly, echoing from the halls, the sounds of fighting came in the distance. An alarm sounded outside the cell.

The grunts looked at each other, then ran out of the cell as the door closed and locked.

 **What's happening?** Celest weakly wondered. She hung by her wrists. Her body was still limp. Her abdomen throbbed in pain, the burns from the cattle prods still stung. She slowly raised her head in attempt to listen.

The fighting sounded as if to be getting closer. Gunfire rang out in the halls and the sounds of pokemon clashing echoed. After what felt like an hour, it died out. Celest rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Her mind was racing as she tried to listen for anything. Voices echoed and footsteps could be heard as the alarm's speaker was shot.

"Check this cell, we're going to move down this hallway and clear the next few rooms," the voice of an older man yelled out. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite remember.

She heard a clang as the cell door unlocked, then the loud creak as it swung open. She felt a presence enter the cell slowly. She refused to open her eyes. Was the presence here to finally kill her? She tried reaching out with the blade protruding from her chest to sense any emotions. Even with her psychic powers heavily limited by her armor, she still felt strong, overwhelming emotions coming from the person in her cell. Then a voice weakly called out, one that cracked with emotion. It was one that reawakened her tired mind and sent a thousand emotions running through her at once.

"...Celest?..."

It was Eric.

* * *

 **That is it for chapter 9! This chapter was definitely darker than the previous ones, but it was to convey the horrible situation Celest is in. Anyways I hope you guys like the story overall and I hope to see you all again next week! Peace!**


	10. Sacrifice

**Friday has come already! I wanted to take a quick second to thank everyone for supporting this story! I have gotten private messages from a lot of you guys, and it warms my heart and brings a tear to my eye seeing the love and support this story is getting! I literally get super excited and always a bit nervous with every new chapter that I write and upload. I want every chapter to be enjoyable to read, even if it's not the happiest of a chapter. It just makes me so happy knowing that many of you really enjoy this story as much as I love writing it! Thank you all! Now for the usual: Bold indicated thoughts and Celest talking. When it's her, the dialogue will be surrounded with quotations.** _Italics_ **indicate pokemon peaking to one another. I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or any part of it. All rights go to Game Freak, Nintendo etc. Alright on to Chapter 10. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Sacrifice**

 **Continuing from Chapter 9: Suffering.**

"...Celestial..." Eric quietly said.

Hearing that voice sent many emotions through her. She couldn't believe what she just heard, it was impossible! She thought her mind had finally broken, that she was hearing ghosts. Yet she had to know. Her eyes shot open as she looked at the source of the voice. Standing in the entrance of her cell was the man she had fell in love with and thought was dead; and he was crying.

 **"Eric..."** she managed to say. She felt tears collecting in her eyes. She couldn't believe it.

The soldier ran across the cell and to her side. He went right for the chains bounding her to the wall. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a set of bolt cutters. He gently clipped the chains around her wrists, releasing her. She collapsed to the floor, but Eric caught her on the way down. He pulled her into a tight hug as they both were on their knees. They both began weeping into each other's shoulders.

After a few moments, Eric pulled back and looked at her helmet. He searched for a way to remove it as his tears left wet trails down his dust-covered face. His hands fumbled around on the helmet's surface, looking for any signs of latches or clamps to take it off.

"How do I remove this thing Celest, please tell me," Eric said, his voice was choked up. He looked her up and down as he saw her exposed skin covered in bruises.

" **You can't...it can only be taken off with the control...and the grunts that were just in here have it...** " Celest slowly said. For a moment, she didn't care. She was so happy to see Eric again. She pulled him into another hug. They sat like that for another moment, then pulled away again. They looked into each other's eyes.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you sooner...I promise you I tried!" Eric cried out. He looked again at the bruises covering her, "What did they do to you?"

Celest shook her head. She caressed Eric's face.

" **Don't worry about it...I'm better now with you here,** " she said. Eric kept looking her over at her injuries. His eyes eventually wandered down. There he saw the obvious and horrifying signs of her raping at the hands of Galactic. He looked horrified.

"No, no!...Did they...did they ra-" he tried saying it, but she cut him off by placing one of her fingers against his lips. She simply nodded. Eric could see tears leaking from under her helmet.

His heart broke, feelings of failure hit him hard. **Why didn't I find her sooner?** He thought. Then anger replaced his anguish. He looked into the black lens that hid her eyes.

"I will kill every one of those fuckers..." he said, his voice low and with pure hatred creeping into it.

Celest went to say something, but then she froze up. Her body began to glow as she stood, floating a few centimeters above the stone floor. Eric stared for a second, then realized something was wrong. He jumped up and spun around with his rifle shouldered. In the doorway, a Team Galactic grunt stood. The grunt smiled wickedly; in his right hand, he held a remote. Eric was just about to pull the trigger when he felt his body being thrown against the cell wall. He dropped his rifle as he was pinned. The grunt started laughing.

Eric strained against the invisible force holding him where he was at. He slowly managed to turn his head to see it was Celest holding him there with her powers. She groaned in pain as she was forced to do it by the grunt with the remote.

"Oh isn't this going to be good!" The grunt taunted, "A pokemon being forced to murder its old master!...You know what to do creature, finish him..."

The grunt tapped a few buttons, and Celest screamed in agony as she began to crush Eric with her powers against her will. Eric's face began turning red as he could feel his entire body being smashed by the force. He gritted his teeth and tried to fight it, but he couldn't escape her grasp. He let out a scream of his own as his bones felt like they could snap into pieces at any moment. The grunt laughed as the whole thing happened in front of him...then something happened he didn't expect.

Celest's body tried its hardest to fight the control of the armor and, for just a moment, she regained control and let go of Eric. He dropped and crumpled to the floor. Celest screamed, grabbing at her helmet in a vain attempt to remove it as it sent waves of pain over her entire body. Eric quickly regained his composure and grabbed his rifle, firing a single round as Celest was forced to grab him once again. He felt like he was being ripped apart by her unwilling attack.

The bullet left the rifle just before Eric was grabbed again. It rang out in its deafening blast as the projectile screamed towards its target: the remote. It hit, knocking the device out of the grunt's hand as it blew the remote to pieces. Eric dropped to the floor again. The grunt stared at his empty hand, then down at the broke device. He then slowly looked up at the Gardevoir. She was staring him down like the Angel of Death itself. His skin turned a ghostly white as he realized what happened. His heart felt like it stopped in place as he could only feel pure terror.

The grunt tried to speak, but was immediately grabbed by her psychic power as Celest's armor shattered into pieces and fell off of her. The grunt was slammed against the wall with a huge amount of force, enough to break several bones. He screamed from the pain of the bones shattering, then was silenced by Eric; firing a single round into his head. Celest dropped the corpse, then collapsed to her knees while holding her head.

Eric clumsily stumbled over to her, dropping to his knees as well in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her into the tightest hug he could manage. Her heart shard jabbed him in the chest, but he didn't care. She was freed from her torment. They both began crying as they held each other. After a few moments, once the sobbing stopped but the tears of joy kept running; they pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. Her eyes sparkled as she got to look at him again without that damned helmet. She went to speak, but was cut off as Eric caressed her face; pulling her in and kissing her. It was deep and full of love. It was everything she had hoped for. Her eyes closed as she melted into Eric's arms, pressing her lips back against his. It was pure bliss, happiness neither of them had felt in several weeks. She didn't want the moment to end before Eric pulled away. He continued to hold her face as he broke into the happiest of smiles. She smiled as well, the first in a long time.

"Celestial, I-I...uh, ha" Eric said grinning. He stuttered.

" **I love you Eric,** " Celest said, cutting him off. His eyes sparkled at the confession.

"And I love you...I have for awhile...I've just been afraid to say it before," He responded with a slight chuckle.

She let out the first giggle she had in weeks, her chest hurt doing it but she didn't care. She was so happy again.

" **It's ok, I'm just happy our hearts are true to each other...I want to be with you forever,** " she said. She gently touched his face.

They kissed again, more deeply this time. They both sat on the floor in true bliss, unaware of the old Sergeant and the Garchomp that was standing in the doorway.

Burke let a grin spread across his face. He expected the two had something between them. He had never seen love quite like it in person before, and though knowing their love was was technically illegal; he was happy for his soldier. He knew he'd support them and would never reveal to anyone what was now their secret. He cleared his throat and the two newly found mates were both snapped from their moment. They both stood up and looked over at him, their faces flushed a bright red. He smiled a little more. Garchomp let out a noise not unlike a laugh.

Eric went to say something in defense, "Sergeant, I-I can explain..."

Burke waved him off with a chuckle. He then waved for them to follow.

"Come on love birds, there's plenty of time to get reacquainted later. We still have to level this place and leave this rock."

Eric and Celest nodded, and she floated over to the door. Eric grabbed his rifle and followed suit. Sergeant Burke left the cell and started to walk down the hall. Eric and Celest paused to look at each other again in the eyes. She smiled and grabbed his hand, interlacing her three green fingers with his.

" **Let's get out of here...** " Celest said as the two left the cell. She refused to look back.

Garchomp gave his master and the Gardevoir a curious look, cocking his head to the side. Eric patted the dragon on the head. Then, satisfied with the situation, Garchomp took up position behind them.

Once outside the cell, the group moved down the hallway and into a large storage room. Crates and other containers were stacked and scattered throughout the room, dimly lit by the occasional lamps that hung from the rocky ceiling. This room looked as if simply part of a cave system. The hallways, smaller rooms and cells were more finely finished, if not spartan in appearance.

"Alpha Squad should be just ahead in the next hallway." Sgt. Burke stated, glancing around the room at the dark spots hidden from the light by the crates.

There it was; movement on their right. Then their left. The group came to a halt. Burke and Eric brought their rifles up and aimed to either side of the room, being sure to put Celest in between them. Silence. Celest closed her eyes and focused. She felt for any signs around the room. Then there it was. That evil, sick, twisted presence, hidden behind a crate. She felt hatred hit her, and her eyes shot open. They glowed a bright purple as the crate hiding the person was shattered into splinters. Now in the open stood was a Galactic grunt, another of the group that violated her.

Celest grabbed him before he could react, slamming him into the floor. Then she rose him into the air, throwing him up into one of the lights. It shattered in a spectacular flash of light and sparks, electrocuting the grunt before he was tossed to the ground again. The whole time he screamed. While this was happening, the third grunt came from behind a crate on the other side of the room. He opened fire on the group with a large spray of bullets. Celest spun, holding her hand out in front of her. A purple barrier surrounded herself and the others, but not before a bullet managed to hit Sgt. Burke. The Sergeant fell with a yell, clutching his chest where the round hit. Eric ran to him to try to help, but Burke just simply waved him away.

"Ugh...I'm fine...it just knocked the wind out of me..." Burke replied.

Eric helped Burke slowly to his feet, worried for his squad leader. Another couple shots rang out and hit the protective barrier Celest held up. She then reached out and crushed the grunt's weapon with her power, then grabbed him with the invisible force. Dragging that grunt across the ground, she slammed him next to the other. She then held both of them down, slowly crushing them into the floor. They began to both scream in agony.

" **These...these _monsters_...they are the other two who raped me...**" Celest said, her voice dark.

Eric looked at her. He never saw so much hate in her eyes. These men, these monsters as she put it, deserved everything they had coming to them. They both screamed in agony as they were further pressed into the floor. Then finally Eric couldn't stand it anymore. He knew she wanted her revenge, but didn't think it was right for her to have to live with the burden of killing another living being; even if they did deserve it. He didn't want her to have the nightmares he did. He walked over to the two grunts and shot them both dead; two rounds in each of their chests. They laid limp and their breathing stopped.

Celest's eyes dimmed, she seemed confused. Eric went to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Celest...I know you felt as if you had to kill them...but I don't want you to have to live with that burden. I promise you'll understand one day." Eric said sullenly.

She cocked her head, " **What about you though? Why put that burden on yourself?** "

Eric tried to smile, "I already have to live with it. I don't want you to go through with it as well. It will keep you up at night, no matter how much you thought they deserved it. I'm just used to it."

She stared into his eyes, then nodded.

" **I think I understand. Thank you Eric.** "

He nodded back, then turned his attention back to Sgt. Burke. The Sergeant was leaning on Garchomp, who was helping him stand. There was a large amount of blood covering his shirt. Eric threw off his backpack. He reached into it and recovered the bandages and gauze from inside it.

"We have to patch you up Sergeant. Please sit," Eric said. Burke didn't protest. He dropped to the floor and ripped his shirt open. The wound looked bad. Eric shoved gauze into it, causing Burke to wince.

"Damn, not too rough. You're supposed to be helping!" Burke called out.

Eric chuckled, ignoring Burke's complaint. He wrapped the bandages around his chest, tying it taught against the skin. Once that was done, Burke reached into his pocket and retrieved a couple pain killers. He down them quick and threw his jacket back on.

"Alright I'm fine. Let's keep going shall we?" The Sergeant said. The group continued on their way.

After several minutes of walking, they caught up with Alpha Squad. They had just finished securing the labs. It looked like hell broke loose inside it. Broken glass and lab tools were scattered about. Tables were broken and flipped to be used as cover. Bullet holes riddled the room, along with splatters of blood. Alpha was down several men, but they were holding up otherwise. Among the squad floated the Lake Guardian Azelf, a small gray-blue pokemon with two tails that each ended with a red jewel; a third red jewel was embedded into its forehead, much likened to a third magical eye.

Upon entering the room, the small pokemon saw Celest and yelped in fear. It floated behind Sgt. York, shaking and slowly peaking from behind him. Celest felt awful. She remembered being forced to attack the legendary pokemon. She had hope she could make up for it somehow.

"Burke, Eric, it's good to see you're both alive. I see you also recovered your objective." Sgt. York said, nodding towards Celest.

"It is as it seems York. Let's get a move on. I'm sure Charlie is waiting." Burke responded. Sgt. York nodded, waving for his men to go. The two squads left the lab and followed the signs on the wall to the hanger bay.

Once out of the lab, Celest tried to approach the Lake Guardian, but it simply kept Sgt. York between it and her. He seemed to notice, glancing at the small pokemon and then to her.

"The hell did you do to it? It's terrified of ya." Sgt. York asked.

Celest felt worse and didn't respond to York's question. The small pokemon stared at her from over York's shoulder.

 _I'm sorry...I didn't want to hurt you..._ Celest said to it, letting her emotions show in the words. The pokemon looked at her, cocking its head to the side.

"Charlie Squad, this is Sgt. Burke. We're with Alpha and moving to the hanger bay. We have the objectives." Sgt. Burke said through a radio handset.

Silence was the only thing that answered. Eric had a shiver go up his spine. He didn't like the gut feeling he had. Celest felt it as well, placing her hand on his shoulder in reassurance. Then something came over the radio. Static, then the sounds of gunfire. Several pokemon could also be heard fighting. Then a voice came over the static and sounds.

"This is Sgt. Cummings! Our objective is complete, the demo has been laid out as ordered but we're under heavy fire in the hanger bay! Their commander is leading them herself! We've taken casualties and need assistance right now!" Sgt. Cummings yelled over the radio. The group paused, looking at each other in shock.

"You heard him, let's go!" Burke yelled before coughing and hacking. The soldiers and the three pokemon started running. Once they got close, the sounds of combat grew louder. Soon it became deafening.

They entered the hangar bay. It was a cavernous room, opened on one end for helicopters to leave and enter. It was large enough to house half a dozen helicopters at once. The rocky ceiling was more than a hundred feet high. Three black helicopters sat in the middle of the hangar. Large crates and concrete barriers were scattered around the room to act as cover. Charlie Squad was in the middle of the room, surrounded on all sides by Team Galactic. Several Galactic pokemon were deployed and helping their masters in pinning down the soldiers. In front of it all though, was Cynthia and Mars. The Champion stood in the open, her Garchomp in front of her. Her Garchomp looked worn out, but stood her ground as she faced down Mars's Bronzor. Several bullets whizzed past the two human females' heads, but neither budged. They simply stared each other down. Finally Mars reached her hand out, yelling her command.

"Bronzor, use gyro ball!" Mars yelled. Her pokemon flew through the air, gaining a spin as it went.

"Garchomp, dodge it!" Cynthia ordered. Her Garchomp tried to leap out of the way, but the previous fighting had already worn her out. The attack connected, sending the dragon smashing in the ground and sliding a dozen feet back towards the Champion.

Cynthia cried out for her pokemon, running to her and kneeling beside the dragon. She knew her garchomp couldn't go on without being hurt worse. She called her back into her ball. The Champion then stood back up, staring down Mars as the evil commander laughed.

"You're weaker than you put yourself up to be! I'm disappointed," Mars said, a grin spread across her face. Then out of nowhere, her bronzor was hit with a dragon rage, knocking it out immediately. Mars was shocked and turned to see where the attack came from.

Eric's Garchomp stood furiously, unable to stand seeing another of its kind being beat. He roared in anger towards the Galactic Commander as he started walking towards her. Eric and Celest followed as they both wanted vengeance. Cynthia went to release another pokemon, but was pulled into cover by a nearby soldier who rushed out to get her.

"Ma'am with all due respect, we can't risk allowing you to get hurt. Please stay in cover!" yelled the soldier. The Champion huffed in annoyance, but stayed down.

Mars look shocked at the sight of Eric. She couldn't believe he was still alive. She then gritted her teeth, fuming in anger.

"You! You're supposed to be dead!" She yelled, clenching her fists. She then reached for her pokeballs; tossing out Golbat and Purugly. The two stood their ground, staring down the Garchomp. Several more pokemon on Galactic's side then turned to face them as well.

Garchomp let out another defiant roar. Eric wasn't going to let his pokemon fight it alone. He reached for another pokeball when Celest floated past him and took up a place next to Garchomp.

"Celest, what are you doing?" Eric worriedly asked, "You're not in any shape to fight."

" **I don't care.** " She responded, " **I won't let Garchomp do this alone.** "

Her eyes then glowed. She grabbed both of Mars's pokemon, throwing them back with tremendous force. Mars's face turned red with rage.

"Get her!" Mars screamed.

The half dozen pokemon around her all moved to attack. Celest rested her hand on Garchomp, teleporting them both to dodge the attacks. She then charged a shadow ball, throwing it at a Blastoise and knocking it to the ground. Another Golbat rushed forward, but then was hit by Garchomp with a tackle. Celest quickly moved back to the dragon's side. They watched as the other pokemon slowly approached them. A Rampardos charged. She attacked with psychic, slamming the Ramparados to the ground. It was then finished off with a giga impact by Garchomp. He let out a roar, eyeing the other enemy pokemon. Then, as if from nowhere, attacked a Abomasnow with ice punch.

 _Garchomp!_ Celest yelled.

Garchomp spun to see his attacker, but was hit hard. The dragon was thrown back by the hit and landed on his side. He tried to get up, but the attack was too much. He fainted as Eric ran over to him. Eric dropped to his knees next to his pokemon, alarmed by what happened. He returned him to his pokeball, then stood back up. He felt anger rush through him as he threw his other pokeballs, releasing Raichu and Arcanine.

Arcanine rushed forward immediately, dodging hydro pumps that were coming from the Blastoise which was back up on its feet. He charged the Abomasnow that defeated his friend, attacking with fire fang. The attack made the ice pokemon roar in pain, stumbling back from the attack. It was then hit with a moon blast thrown by Celest. The large pokemon then collapsed in defeat.

The Blastoise kept up the attack from a distance, aiming for the Arcanine. Raichu dodged an attack by Galactic's Houndoom as it rushed after the mouse. Once close enough to the large water pokemon, Raichu let out a powerful thundershock. The electric attack hit both the Bastoise and the Houndoom giving chase. The Blastoise fell to the ground and the Houndoom seemed dazed by it, then was finished off with a tackle from the mouse pokemon.

Mars was fuming. She couldn't believe they were being beaten by a bunch of beings she considered weak. She hit a button on her watch and moments later another dozen grunts came pouring in. They released more pokemon or otherwise opened fire on the soldiers. Under the covering fire of her grunts, Mars made her escape from the fight. A stray bullet hit Arcanine, who collapsed in pain. Eric cried out, then started to run to help but was grabbed by Sgt. Cummings. The Sergeant pulled Eric into cover.

"The hell are you doing?" Cummings said, "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Eric went to jump back out of cover, but was pulled down again by Cummings. They looked at each other for a second, then they both just started to fire at the grunts as they shot back.

Celest rushed over to the wounded Arcanine, lifting him into her arms. She glanced up, looking for Eric. She then saw him behind cover, firing at some grunts who were returning his fire. She looked to her left, seeing the Raichu desperately dodging bullets in attempt to find somewhere safer. The mouse pokemon let out a thundershock, electrocuting several grunts who got too close to her. Celest rushed over, grabbing Raichu as well. The electric pokemon launched a thunder bolt, hitting a Golbat that was trying to attack the trio. The Gardevoir then started floating as quick as she could towards Eric. She failed to notice the Electrode rolling in front of her. It detonated and shook the entire hangar, filling it with dust.

Eric's teeth rattled at the blast, then he started coughing as the dust became extremely thick. He could barely make out Celest in the distance. She was trying to stay on her feet. She stumbled as she lifted the wounded Arcanine back into her arms. Raichu laid unconscious from the blast. Celest picked her up as well using her powers and tried once more to carry them to Eric. The exchange of gun fire continued throughout the hangar, with neither side able to see the other. Then a bullet struck Celest in the shoulder, causing her to scream and fall to the ground.

"Celest!" Eric yelled, leaping out of cover to run towards her. Sgt. Cummings cursed to himself and shook his head, looking over at Sgt. Burke. The old sergeant coughed up some blood, then cupped his hands around his mouth to yell.

"Soldiers, covering fire!" Burke yelled to the other soldiers, who promptly threw out more bullets towards Galactic in an attempt to keep their heads down.

Eric reached Celest as she was attempting to stand again. Bullets hit all around them. Eric called Arcanine and Raichu back into their pokeballs, then grabbed Celest's hand as they started to run back for cover. As they ran, a bullet hit Eric's prosthetic leg; knocking it out from under him. He fell to the ground, unable to stand. He tried to fix it when Celest grabbed him and painfully teleported them both back to Sgt. Cummings.

The Sergeant was still firing back over his cover, only giving a relieved glance towards Eric and Celest. Eric sat and leaned against the concrete barrier they hid behind. He then reattached his prosthetic, noting its damage but otherwise saw it was OK. Celest grabbed her shoulder in pain. Blood leaked like red wine from her wound. Eric stared at the wound, then hesitantly reached for his belt. He pulled out an old pokeball; one that has only been used once. He held it up to Celest, who's eyes widened at the sight and she physically winced.

"Celest please...you're hurt. Please go inside your pokeball." Eric said with a worried tone.

" **No...I can't...please don't make me...** " Celest begged. Eric knew why she didn't want to. It reminded her of all her past imprisonments. It would also make her feel as if she was only just another pokemon to Eric. He looked into her red eyes as they were locked with his. They glimmered with tears.

"I promise you nothing will change...I know you hate being inside it...but you're hurt and I don't want to lose you." Eric said, his voice choking up.

Celest continued to look into his eyes. She knew he was worried about her, but she couldn't do it. She slowly shook her head.

"...Please...I don't want to lose you..." Eric quietly pleaded once again.

She shook her head again, then leaned in to kiss Eric gently. Their lips parted, and they looked into each other's eyes mere inches away.

" **I promise you won't lose me.** " She said, gently brushing her hand against Eric's cheek. After a few moments, Eric slowly nodded.

"I love you," he quietly said. She gave him another quick kiss.

" **I love you too,** " she responded. She then stood up, still clutching her wound.

Eric watched her as she left the safety of their cover. He yelled for her, but she ignored him and floated out into the middle of the hangar. Bullets whizzed past her, but she refused to be scared. She could feel her parents watching over her, giving her strength. Her eyes glowed a bright purple-pink light as she gathered her power. After several moments, she threw her arms out, and a wave of physic energy pulsated throughout the cavernous room. The force harmlessly passed by the soldiers, who felt it as if it was an earthquake. The force of the attack immediately blew back the three helicopters in the room, violently tossing and smashing them into the wall. The several dozen Galactic members and their pokemon were also thrown back with great force. Their weapons were ripped out of their hands by Celest's power. Once the attack was over, Celest closed her eyes and collapsed to the floor. She was greatly weakened after expending all her energy in the attack.

Behind the soldiers, at the end of the hangar, Cynthia's helicopter came into view. It rushed into the hangar and roughly landed. Its doors automatically swung open.

"Come on let's get out of here!" The pilot yelled over the radio.

The remaining soldiers jumped up and began running towards their ride. Only Eric stayed behind, running in the opposite direction towards his mate. Fire from one of the nearby wrecked helicopters blew out, igniting the fuel that leaked from its fuel lines and across the hangar floor. The blaze separated Eric from Celest. He was about to try to run through the fire when Celest's body began to glow. She was lifted into the air and floated safely through the fire as a barrier of protective energy surrounded her. Once she was in arm's reach of Eric, she was released by the physic grip that held her. Eric caught her, and looked around to see who was responsible for it. He turned and saw the Lake Guardian, Azelf, floating a few feet behind him. The legendary pokemon stared at him curiously.

"Thank you," Eric said, emotions showing in his voice. The pokemon smiled, then turned and started floating towards the helicopter. The surviving soldiers were taking cover behind concrete barriers that separated the helicopter from the grunts. The members of Team Galactic were still trying to recover from Celest's attack; only a few of them were rushing for their weapons.

Eric, carrying Celest, ran back to the group. Once there the soldiers started to board the helicopter as its blades began picking up speed, ready for take off. Eric laid Celest on the floor of the helicopter, then turned and saw Sgt. Burke staying behind. He rushed over to his Sergeant's side.

"Sgt, what are you doing? Let's get the hell out of here!" Eric yelled, grabbing Burke's shoulder. His squad leader merely shook him off. Eric looked at him confused.

"No, I'm not going to make it...that hit did more damage than I thought." Burke said. Pain tainted his voice.

Eric shook his head, "No! There's no way you're dying here! Let's get out of here and blow this place to hell!"

Burke laughed, then turned and started coughing and hacking. The violent hacking forced him to catch himself on a concrete barrier. He cleared his voice and stood back up straight.

"That's just it...The remote detonator is fried." He held up a broken wireless detonator. He continued, "Someone is going to have to stay behind to light the fuse manually. I'm a dead man anyways, so I'm doing it."

Laying on the ground next to them was a backup detonator. A wire attached to it snaked across the floor and off towards the first set of demo charges. Eric shook his head again. He felt his voice choking up, "No Sergeant, there has to be another way!"

"There isn't another way. I'm ordering you to go now. I'm not afraid of death, and I always figured I'd go out with a bang. Get out of here, I got this." Burke said, tightly gripping Eric's shoulder. Eric closed his eyes to fight back tears. He then nodded.

"Yes Sergeant." He quietly responded.

"You have a long life ahead of you soldier. Look behind you, at her. At your Gardevoir." Sgt Burke said as Eric glanced over his shoulder at Celest. She was sitting up in the helicopter and was watching what was happening. Her eyes sparkled in the light as another soldier was tending to her wound. Burke continued, "What you two have is something very special. Some may not like or understand it, but it's special. She needs you, and I know you need her. So go, leave me here. I'll make sure Galactic never wants to go after you two again."

Tears streamed down Eric's face. He turned back to his squad leader. He nodded, pursing his lips into a thin line. He then threw up a salute. Burke smiled, returning the salute. He then reached his hand out. Eric lowered his salute, grabbing Burke's hand as they shook hands. Their grips were tight. Sgt. Burke's smile widened, showing blood-stained teeth.

"It's been an honor Sergeant." Eric said. They let go. He took a few steps back.

"The honor has been mine." Burke replied.

Bullets then started flying past their heads as Galactic fully recovered. Burke dropped behind cover as Eric spun and ran as fast as he could back to the helicopter. It started lifting into the air as Eric reached it. He jumped and caught the edge of the door. Sgt. Cummings and Cynthia grabbed Eric's arms, pulling him inside. Once inside, the doors slid closed as the large aircraft spun on its axis and quickly flew out of hangar. Inside it, Eric laid on the floor as Celest pulled him up into a tight hug. She could feel the pain he was going through. He cried into her shoulder as the aircraft took off.

Sgt. Burke watched as the helicopter left. He nodded as a tear slipped out and crawled down his face. He felt content and peaceful. His chest throbbed in pain, but he ignored it. He sat down with his back to the concrete barrier and stared out into the sky outside the hangar door. Then he slowly reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a fresh cigar. He chewed on the end, struck a match, and lit the cigar. He took a puff, then blew the smoke and watched it swirl and wisp in the air in front of him. He smiled, placing the cigar back into his mouth, tasting the tobacco and copper of his blood mixing. Memories of his past entered his head. His childhood, his schooling, his military career. He felt no regrets. He then shed another tear as memories of his wedding entered his thoughts. He then reached over; taking hold of the back up detonator.

The gunfire stopped. Numerous grunts came running over to the wounded soldier. They pointed their rifles at him, ready to kill. He smiled bigger, confusing them with his defiance. He wasted no time; he pulled the pull ring on the back up detonator. A pop, then cracks of thunder could be heard all around them. The grunts looked around, then screamed and ran from the fiery blast Burke unleashed. Fire and smoke engulfed the entire base as it rocked from the detonations. The ceiling of the hangar then fell in as more explosions rang out and the cave system collapsed. The old sergeant bravely embraced his death.

"I'm coming home Martha." Sergeant John Burke said, closing his eyes. Visions of his late wife was the last thing he ever saw.

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you really enjoyed this chapter and I also hope to see you all next week! Peace!**


	11. Homecoming

**Hey everyone, welcome to the next chapter! I'm sure by now you all know how it works with the bold lettering,** italics **,** **etc so I won't keep beating a dead horse with repeating it. Though as a new note:** _italics_ **can be used at times to indicate someone saying a word with certain emphasis among their normal dialogue.** **I also have to say this copyright stuff: I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or anything to do with it. Pokemon and all its glory belong to its respective owners. Also, is there anything in particular you guys would like to see happen at some point? I have things more or less planned out but I'm interested in hearing any cool ideas. If you have any, feel free to shoot me a PM! Anyways let's get to it! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Homecoming**

Cynthia's helicopter roared through the sky and away from the now destroyed Team Galactic base. The mountains shrank in the distance as Eric watched them through the helicopter's windows. Black smoke bellowed from where the base used to be as a small part of the mountain side collapsed in. The base, and Galactic's presence on that island, was erased forever. He knew it was a great victory, but he couldn't help but feel sadness creep up through his gut. He felt a tear roll down his cheek as a hand was placed on his knee. He looked in front of him and saw the Champion giving him a reassuring look as she sat across from him in the aircraft.

"Eric, I know it must hurt to lose him. Just remember that he gave his life for us all. Because of him, we won't be hearing from Galactic in a long time." Cynthia said, trying to put on a smile. Eric tried to smile back, but the pain he felt was too great.

Sergeant York was standing in the middle of the helicopter's bay holding a handle on the ceiling. He looked at the young soldier.

"John Burke was a fantastic leader, and a greater man. He will be remembered as a hero for his actions." Sgt. York said loudly, now looking around the inside of the helicopter at everyone. His words were received with a loud "oorah" from all the soldiers in the aircraft with the exception of Eric.

Eric turned to look back out the window. A sullen expression was on his face. His blue eyes were dimmed to a pale azure from the sadness. He then heard a voice in his head; it was the sound of an angel. The sounds of a sweet bell in his head as Celest spoke from her seat next to him.

" **Eric I'm sorry for your loss...I know how much your Sergeant meant to you,** " she said looking at him. She reached over and grabbed his hand, interlacing her green fingers with his.

Eric snapped from his sadness for just a moment. He looked down at their hands, then around to see if anyone could see them holding hands. Cynthia seemed distracted with looking out the window and the others were chatting among their selves. He knew most people were against the idea of a human and pokemon being together. He didn't want to potentially get in trouble and lose her again. Nobody seemed to notice, and Eric turned his gaze to meet Celest's glimmering red eyes. They sparkled their normal ruby color with tinges of pink at the edges of her irides. They seemed to get more and more beautiful every time Eric looked into them.

He didn't want to speak out loud, so he thought he response to her knowing she could probably hear it with her mind reading powers.

 **Sgt. Burke had been there for me since I enlisted. He was an amazing soldier...it was almost like he was invincible at times...I just can't believe he's gone...** Eric thought, not breaking his gaze into her eyes.

Celest broke her stare for only a split second. Her eyes glanced down at her hand that was holding his. She tightened her grip on his hand, then responded.

 **"I understand...we will remember him forever. But you also must remember that he gave us the greatest gift that anyone could ever have given."**

She gave the warmest smile she could put on. Eric seemed confused at her statement. His face contorted as he tried to make sense of her words.

 **I don't understand Celest...** Eric thought in question.

The Gardevoir rose her free hand and caressed Eric's face. She slowly brought her face in and gave him a quick, loving, kiss. Her smile widened slightly, seeing she finally got a small smile out of him.

" **He** **gave us the gift of a tomorrow...we now finally have a true tomorrow because of his sacrifice. We don't have to live in worry of Galactic anymore. We won't be seeing them for a long time.** "

She saw Eric's face light up at that comment. They stared into each other's eyes for another moment, smiling at each other. Their cheeks flushed a dull red. Then Eric broke from his spell and looked around again at the others in the helicopter. Still nobody seemed to notice their little moment, especially the kiss. Surely Celest knew it was considered immoral for them to be together? Maybe she didn't care, or maybe she trusted everyone on board the helicopter. They'd have to be careful though. Eric sighed, feeling content once more. He also felt a bit of happiness. Joy at the thought of being able to return home with the one he loved.

 **So what do you want to do when we get home?** Eric asked in his thoughts to Celest.

She giggled out loud. It was like gorgeous wind chimes. Music to Eric's ears.

" **Well...I was figuring we could go out to eat at least, and the Pokemon League is still going on this year. Maybe we could watch some battles.** " She happily replied.

The two mates continued their chat in their heads where no one else could hear. Little did they know though, two other souls in that helicopter saw them holding hands. They saw the looks in their eyes as the two mates looked at each other. They even saw the kiss. The Champion, Cynthia and Sergeant York watched them out of the corners of their eyes for a moment. Cynthia let out a small smile, and looked up at York to see if he saw the same thing. The sergeant returned the look with a slight shrug. The Champion turned her gaze back to the window, staring out at the clouds. York turned his attention to the other soldiers in the helicopter.

 **So Hahn and his Gardevoir are in love? That's something new.** The Sergeant chuckled to himself.

A short time of flying passed, then the helicopter came to a soft landing at Cynthia's private landing pad. The survivors of the battle jumped down from the aircraft's belly and gathered around Sgt. York and Sgt. Cummings.

Sgt. York glanced around at everyone that was there. He grinned.

"I'm very proud of every one of you. What we did today showed a great evil that they were not welcome here." Serious and tired faces looked back at him. York nodded, then continued, "We showed them that even if our government doesn't want to use us, that we will still bring the fight to them."

"Oorah!" The soldiers yelled.

"We still have to secure the Lake Guardian back to its natural home. The Champion and I will make that part happen. As for the rest of you...transport is on the way. Relax and chill for a bit...you all deserve it." Sgt. York finished.

Everyone began to split up, but then Sgt. Cummings whistled. Everyone turned back and faced him.

"Before we go our separate ways for now...I want to hold a moment of silence for all those we lost today." Cummings said, closing his eyes and looking down.

Everyone followed suit. They all closed their eyes and remained silent for a few moments. Azelf, the Lake Guardian, looked around curiously at everyone as it hovered around Sgt. York. After the moment passed, everyone looked back up and nodded at one another before going their own ways. Eric and Celest still stood there on the tarmac. Celest looked up into the sky and enjoyed the feeling of the warm sunlight on her face. She felt the slight breeze running through her hair and lightly tickling the tips of the spiky protrusions on the sides of her head. She looked at Eric with a smile, who returned it. Then they heard Cynthia call Eric's name.

"Hey Eric!" She called out, waving her arm at them.

They both turned their attention to the Champion as she approached them.

"I have a private ride coming to get you two. The driver will take you both home." She said with a friendly smile.

Eric nodded, "Thank you Ms. Cynthia. That's greatly appreciated."

"No problem...but please drop the 'Ms.' crap. Just call me Cynthia." Cynthia said with a laugh. She then placed her hand on Eric's shoulder and pulled him close so she could talk quietly, "Just as a heads up though, you may not want to be kissing your pokemon in front of others like you two did on the helicopter."

Eric's cheeks burned and Celest straightened her stance in shock and fear.

"Cynthia please listen. I-I" Eric stuttered, clearly caught.

" **Please Champion, you must underst-** " Celest went to say, but Cynthia cut her off with a wave of her finger.

"I know what I saw between you two." She said with a grin. The smile confused the two mates as she continued talking, "Eric, when you told me she meant the world to you...I had no idea you meant you LOVED her!"

Eric and Celest stared at her with worry. After an awkward silent second, the Champion let out a chuckle.

"I know it's not common, and definitely a bit illegal...but you two are perfect for each other. Your secret is safe with me." Cynthia said with a smile and a wink.

Relief washed over both Eric and Celest, who floated over and hugged the Champion.

" **Thank you for supporting us Cynthia.** " Celest said.

Cynthia returned the hug, "No problem Celest. People may not like it now, but someday I think many will accept the love you two share."

They parted from their hug, then Cynthia reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace. It had a pendant with the appearance of a gold star with many points. In its center was embedded a small, round crystal ball with three bands of green and pink swirling together in the middle. The Champion pulled the necklace over Celest's head, hanging the pendant around her neck. Celest grabbed the pendant and looked into it. She was amazed by its beauty.

"It's called a gardevoirite. It's a special stone said to be used by your kind to infuse themselves with great power in battle." Cynthia said, "It's also said that the stone can only be activated with what is called a key stone and a powerful bond between the pokemon and their trainer."

She then approached Eric, pulling out a small spherical stone. She placed it in his hand and closed his fingers around it.

"And that...is a key stone. Take care of these gifts, they may come in use someday. They can be very powerful so be sure to only use them in an emergency."

Eric and Celest stared at their gifts from Cynthia, then looked at each other with a smile.

"Thank you, we'll treasure them always." Eric said gratefully, looking back at the Champion.

" **Yes, thank you for everything.** " Celest cheerfully commented. Another second passed and a limousine pulled up to the group.

"Well there's your ride...I'll be sure to stay in contact ok?" Cynthia said as she began to walk away, waving.

Eric and Celest waved goodbye at the Champion as she went on her way. They stepped into the limo and closed the door. The black exterior was contrasted by the bright red leather interior. A small intercom next to the seats chirped on as the driver came over it.

"To your home sir?" The driver asked.

"Not just yet, we need to head to the Pokecenter to get my pokemon treated. They all took a beating." Eric said as he looked at the white bandages wrapped around Celest's wound.

"Yes sir, right away." The driver calmly replied. The limousine jerked slightly, then pulled off the tarmac and onto the small road leading away from the landing pad.

As the limo drove down the road, they passed the other soldiers as they boarded their respective rides. Cynthia was running over to join up with Sgt. York. The legendary pokemon was still hovering around York like a lost puppy, but happily floated around the Champion when she approached the Sergeant. Celest looked at the Lake Guardian as the limo passed, and realized she never properly thanked it for saving her life back at Galactic's base.

 **Thank you Azelf.** She thought to herself, thinking the pokemon couldn't hear her thoughts. But then the small blue-gray pokemon looked over at the limo, right through the dark tinted window at her. The Lake Guardian appeared to smile.

 _You're welcome Gardevoir...and I forgive you..._ Azelf transmitted to her mind.

Celest smiled warmly. She then felt her hand being grabbed. She looked over and saw Eric holding her hand and smiling at her. She finally started to feel truly happy once more.

 **A few days later:**

Today was a solemn one. It was the day of Sergeant Burke's funeral. Of course there wasn't a body to bury, but the quiet ceremony was being held in his honor nonetheless. It was taking place on the grassy knoll out in the field by the late Sergeant's home. Metal chairs were set out in neat rows and columns, and in the front was a large photo of Burke with a even larger wreath wrapped around it. Arranged around the pedestal were bouquets of flowers symbolizing the funeral. Burke did not have any children of his own, and his family was not a large one. Only a few relatives of his showed up to the occasion. Most of the visitors were fellow soldiers in the Defense Force.

Eric was sitting in the front row of chairs. He had his head resting in hands as he was leaning forward in his seat. People were still showing up and finding their seats. Celest floated over and took her seat next to Eric. She gently rubbed his back as she tried to sooth him.

" **Are you ok love?** " She gingerly asked.

Eric sighed, then rose his head up from his hands. He looked over at her and smiled.

"I'm fine Celest. Thank you." He replied.

" **Don't lie to me Eric. I know when you're lying.** " She said. The red blade sticking from her chest could feel any form of emotions. She knew he was still hurt.

"Yea...I'm sorry...I will be ok though, I promise. Today is just going to be a hard day." Eric replied, giving the best smile he could.

Celest nodded, content with that answer. A few more people were beginning to sit. The service was to begin shortly. Eric looked at the photo of Sgt. Burke for a few seconds, then felt someone poking him on the shoulder. He turned around in his chair and behind him he saw a gentleman who appeared to have been no older than his early thirties. He was dressed in a pressed suit and had a stern look on his face.

"Sir, your pokemon is not welcome to sit in these seats." The man said.

Eric was taken aback by the remark, but he kept calm and responded, "Why is that? She isn't in anyone's way or bothering anybody. She's fine where she's at."

The man raised an eyebrow, then raised his voice to make his annoyance clear.

"These seats are for humans only. You may sit here, but it will have to go somewhere else if it wishes to stay for the funeral."

Eric stood, a spike of anger surging through him. Celest grabbed at his shirt.

" **Eric, please stay calm. I'll go somewhere else. It's ok, really.** " She said. Eric nudged her hand off of him.

"First off, _sir_ , my Gardevoir is a female, not an _it._ Secondly, she'll sit wherever she damn well pleases. Who the hell are you to tell me where my pokemon can and cannot sit?" Eric said, his voice seething and low.

"I'm Liam, the one organizing this funeral, and I say that _thing_ cannot sit where humans do!" The man spat, pointing viciously at Celest.

Eric felt pure rage boil up within him. Hearing someone, ANYONE, call his Celest a thing caused him to snap in one instance. He swung a fist and it connected with Liam's jaw. Celest jumped from her chair and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were wide as she could now see everyone else in attendance was staring.

Liam nearly fell over a few chairs from the hit. He rubbed his jaw and spit out a broken tooth. His lip was swollen and a small amount of blood was now running down from his mouth to his chin. Liam rubbed his lip and pulled his hand away, looking at the blood on his fingers. He then looked at Eric, who popped the knuckles of the fist he swung. He was ready to throw another if need be.

" **Eric please stop, we'll go stand in the back or something! You don't have to defend me!** " Celest said. She didn't want Eric getting in trouble over her.

Eric stood his ground. He kept his hands in a defensive stance. His training took over as he was ready for a fight. Liam glared at him for another second, then spoke up with a snickering leer.

"Huh, I guess I shouldn't expect civil behavior from anyone that talks like a pokemon fucker."

Eric couldn't take it. He shoved a chair out of the way and swung a fist into Liam's gut in one swift movement. Liam doubled over from the hit as Eric was about to swing again, but his arm was caught by someone. Eric looked over and saw it was Sergeant Cummings. He had no particular look on his face; it was like stone. Eric immediately lost all his anger, then looked around. There were a lot of people looking on in shock. He then slowly looked over at Celest. She had her hands covering her mouth and her eyes were wide. A few tears streaked down her face at Eric's actions. He then felt the burning sensation of shame. He lowered his head and fought back the urge to cry.

"Come on Eric, let's go for a walk and calm the nerves." Cummings quietly said.

Eric refused to look up. He simply nodded and righted the chair he knocked over. Cummings gently lead Eric away from the funeral with a hand on his shoulder. The Sergeant looked over at Celest and nodded his head for her to follow. She looked over at the man who insulted her. Liam sat on the ground holding his gut. He looked as if he had fire burning in his eyes as he glared at Eric. Of course Celest did not like the man in the least bit, but she didn't want Eric to hurt him either. She quickly broke her stare and floated over to Sgt. Cummings. The three made their way towards an apple tree that stood behind Burke's house.

Cummings stood next to the tree's trunk and looked up into its branches. The leaves and budding apples gently swayed in the breeze. The Sergeant took a deep breath, then leaned against the tree.

"I remember when my friends and I used to pick on you and little Joey." Sgt. Cummings said with a grin, remembering his little brother Joe. Eric felt a pang of sadness hit him at the sound of his deceased best friend's name. Cummings chuckled, then continued, "We'd chase you guys up trees just like this one."

Sergeant Cummings' voice then dropped to a more dreary tone, "...I still miss him, you know that?"

Eric nodded. He missed his friend as well, but knew the feelings of losing one's close family hurt more than anything else. He couldn't imagine the pain Cummings went through when he found out Joe died.

"I miss him everyday as well, Mike..." Eric replied to Sgt. Cummings and breaking his habit of not calling any NCO by their first name. Cummings chuckled again. He gave Eric a mocking look.

"I haven't heard anyone call me by my first name in a while." Mike said, "I'm used to everyone calling me by my last name, or just saying 'Sergeant'."

His tone dropped again, "I read the reports...but I need to ask you personally...Did Joey go quickly?"

Eric wasn't prepared for that question. He didn't want to think back on that day. He didn't want to think about Joe dying in his arms, yet he knew Mike needed an answer; and he would tell the truth. He swallowed, then spoke up in a choked voice.

"He didn't suffer. He died quickly while I held him." Eric said, lowering his head, "...I'm so sorry I didn't save him."

Mike reached out and squeezed Eric's shoulder, saying, "Don't hold it against yourself Eric. From what the reports said, his injuries were far too great for you to have helped. I don't hold anything against you. You were his best friend, and you are still a friend of mine."

Eric looked up at Mike. The sergeant gave him a small smile and nodded. Eric returned the nod. Celest stood off on the side and watched the exchange of words and emotions. Her horn pulsated with the emotions the two soldiers showed. It broke her heart knowing that they all had lost those they cared about on Iron Island. Finally, the two soldiers looked over at the gardevoir watching them.

"Ignore that prick from earlier ok?" Mike said, talking to Celest and Eric both now, "He's an ignorant dickhead. Why old Burke wrote it down that he wanted him to organize his funeral only Arceus knows."

There was a pause. Nobody spoke. Then Eric broke the silence.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did...I just couldn't tolerate him calling you a _thing_...and then to call me a 'pokemon fucker'." He said, talking to Celest. He could feel the dull anger boiling from within him once more at the thought.

"You did what you felt was right to defend her honor, like any good man would do for his love." Mike said, surprising Eric and Celest. Mike saw the surprise on both their faces. He smiled and said, "I know about you two. York told me...don't worry, he didn't say anything to anyone else."

"And what about you?" Eric asked. Celest locked her eyes on Mike as she floated to Eric's side and grabbed his hand in worry.

Mike shrugged, "I don't have any issues with it. Love is love. After all, it's like what I've always said: 'Whatever suits you'. Whatever makes you happy in life, you should be free to go after it. If you and her make each other happy, then I'll support your love to the death."

Eric and Celest both smiled. A tear ran down Eric's cheek. He remembered Joe always saying 'whatever suits you'. He must have learned it from his older brother. Eric reached his hand out, and Mike shook it. The Sergeant smiled at the young pair, then nodded back towards the funeral that was getting ready to begin without them.

"I don't think that prick meant anything serious with calling you a 'pokemon fucker'. He probably just said that to poke your buttons because you were ready to defend her. I highly doubt he actually knows anything about your relationship." He took a deep breath and straightened his dress shirt, "Now let's get back to the matter at hand. I don't want to miss Burke's funeral; lest I want him to haunt me for the rest of my life."

The three laughed, then turned to head back to the ceremony. Celest decided for herself to stand in the back, with Eric standing next to her. To both of the mates' surprise, Mike walked up beside them and stood with the two. He flashed a smile to Eric and Celest, who both returned the smile. The priest then began the funeral, talking about and honoring events in Burke's life. Off on the far side of the ceremony stood Liam. The funeral organizer glared daggers at the three. Mike promptly crossed his arms and flipped Liam his middle finger. The organizer saw this and rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the priest.

The rest of the funeral was a calm and solemn one. Not many tears were shed, but the emotions were still strong. Celest could feel everyone's emotions with her horn. All lamenting with the exception of one. Liam stood off on the side watching over the funeral. She could feel the anger resonating within him. Even then, she let a small smile appear on her face. How someone could hate someone else just because of what they were, she would never know. She simply choose to ignore him.

 **A week later:**

The stadium went wild. The thousands in attendance was on their feet jumping and cheering for the battle that was just declared over. Confetti and a roar of applause filled the air as fireworks erupted a hundred meters above everyone's heads. The huge TVs that hung throughout the stadium either showed the cameras focused on the victor of the pokemon league, or proudly displayed their name in big letters across their large screens. Hand-made signs and flags wildly waved in the air as the crowd celebrated. On the field was two pokemon and their respective trainers. One of the pokemon, an Empoleon, laid on the ground in defeat as their trainer ran over and soothed it. The other, a Garchomp, let out a proud and victorious roar. The Garchomp's trainer and still-reigning Champion, Cynthia, walked past her Garchomp and up to her rival. The challenger, a young girl, was on her knees and telling her Empoleon how proud she was for him trying his best and pulled the emperor pokemon into his ball to rest.

The young girl then stood and faced the Champion. Cynthia held out her hand and smiled at the girl.

"You and your pokemon have fought well. Even though you may not have won, you have beaten many great trainers to get here. You should be very proud." Cynthia said, shaking the girl's hand.

"Thank you Ms. Cynthia. It was an honor. But I promise I'll come back to battle you again, and then I'll beat you!" The girl said with a bow and big grin.

Cynthia smiled back, "I'm sure you will. I look forward to it."

The Champion then turned to face the crowd, throwing her and the girl's hand up into the air. The crowd exploded even louder in applause as the Champion and her challenger waved on. Back in one of the private sky boxes, Celest and Eric clapped and cheered for their friend.

" **That was an amazing battle! They both did very well!** " Celest said in excitement, still clapping her hands.

"Yes it was! Cynthia's Garchomp was tired out. One more good hit and I think the challenger would have won it." Eric replied. He downed the last of his soda that was provided in the private sky box.

Celest jumped from her chair and grabbed his hand, pulling him up from his seat.

" **Come on! Let's go congratulate Cynthia!** " Celest excitedly said. Eric smiled and followed his girlfriend from the private room, being pulled along by the hand.

The hallways quickly filled with large crowds as people filed their way out of the stadium. Food stands and merchants selling pokemon-related merchandise dotted the large halls as they yelled over the crowds trying to bring in more customers. People crowded around the stands as they waited for their turn to purchase something. Much of the space that wasn't occupied by the stands and people trying to buy their wares were filled with more people milling about. As he followed his girlfriend towards Cynthia's private room, Eric couldn't help but grin at Celest.

The gardevoir moved with a gentle grace through the crowd. She had a warm smile and her eyes were a happy bright ruby color as she weaved amongst the stadium-goers. It was almost like she was dancing as she floated among everyone. In Eric's eyes she had the appearance and movement like that of an angel. She seemed so happy since being free again, and it brought warmth to his heart having her back. She stopped and paused, turning to face towards Eric. She joyfully closed her eyes and waved at him.

" **Come on, hurry up!** " She cheerfully said. Eric picked up his pace and moved past everyone, excusing and pardoning himself to people as he caught up with her.

Once he was at her side again, she giggled and nodded her head to follow. At that time though, someone pulling along his two kids recognized Eric.

The stranger stopped and placed his hand on Eric's arm, asking, "Hey...aren't you the soldier who fought those terrorists at Iron Island?"

Eric was slightly shocked by the question, not knowing how to answer. The man noticed the Gardevoir he was following and looked down at Eric's prosthetic leg. Then he looked back up at him with a smile.

"You are that soldier! You risked your life fighting for us! Thank you sir!" The man excitedly grabbed Eric's hand and began shaking it wildly. Eric didn't know how to react, he just simply tried to smile.

The two kids had huge grins on their faces as they looked up at the soldier. One of them then looked over at Celest and squealed with excitement.

"You! You must be the Gardevoir he rescued! I heard you helped him beat up the bad guys!" The little girl said out loud. She then pulled out a stuffed Gardevoir doll out of her backpack and showed it to Celest, "You're one of my favorite pokemon! I hope one day I can catch one just like you!"

Celest blushed at the kid's kind sentiment. She then gently pulled at Eric's sleeve, which shook him from his daze.

" **Come on Eric, we have to find Cynthia.** " She said.

But it seemed like the two was now drawing a crowd because of the stranger's attention. Several more people stopped and gathered around them and they could hear talking among those surrounding the two mates.

"That's the soldier?" One said.

"Oh, he's a handsome one!" Another stated.

"That must be his Gardevoir. I heard she's very powerful even among her kind." Another piped.

"Kind of weird he lets her walk around outside a pokeball isn't it?" A fourth asked.

"Who cares? We're in a pokemon stadium and they're heroes!" A fifth said loudly.

"Soldier! Can I get a picture?" A young stadium goer excitedly asked.

"Can I get an autograph?" Another questioned.

Eric stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do. He never expected this kind of attention ever in his life. He didn't think it was deserved. He also thought that the mission to Iron Island was classified. **I guess word of mouth is powerful than I thought...** Eric thought. Celest could sense Eric's slight distress. She thought for a moment about trying to teleport them away from the crowd. She then noticed another group of people coming towards them. Camera flashes flickered dozens of times as this mass of people approached. She noticed the cameras were focused on someone in the center of that crowd, then could see multiple security guards surrounding the person of interest. That's when she could feel a familiar presence; it was the Champion, Cynthia.

Cynthia's crowd merged with the one around Eric and Celest. The security guards moved forward and got around the two as Cynthia grabbed them both by the arms.

"Hey, did you find yourself some fans too?" She laughed, "Come on, let's get somewhere away from the masses for a bit."

The guards escorted the group through the mass of people and camera flashes towards Cynthia's locker room. Once there, the guards opened the doors and let the three in. The double doors were then closed behind them, locking the public out. Eric and Celest looked around the room in awe. It was lavishly finished. The walls were covered in a darkly-stained wood paneling. Photos and paintings covered much of the walls from floor to ceiling. A private bar filled with expensive wines and other alcohols were set up along one side of the room. The floor was a polished granite, with a large black plush rug in the center of the room. Long and comfortable-looking leather couches sat on the rug with a fancy glass coffee table between them. Hanging on one wall was a large flat screen TV, which was turned on and switched to a channel that was covering and replaying the pokemon league championships.

Cynthia walked over to the bar and fetched a bottle of red wine and a few glasses. She filled one and handed it to Eric, who took a sip from the glass. Cynthia then held up the bottle next to her face and rose her eyebrow towards Celest in a questioning manner. Celest shook her head with a smile.

" **No thank you Champion.** " She said.

Cynthia shrugged with a grin, "Ok then, more for me."

The Champion giggled, then filled a glass for herself to enjoy. She took a drink and walked over to the couches, setting the wine glass on the coffee table. She then waved for the couple to come join her. Eric walked over and sat down. Celest floated to the Champion and hugged her. Cynthia smiled and returned it.

" **Congratulations on your victory Cynthia!** " Celest said happily, then let go.

"Yes, congrats! And thank you for the private skybox, the view of the battles were awesome!" Eric said.

Cynthia nodded with a grin and sat down and crossed her legs. She took another sip of her wine and Eric followed suit. They watched the replays from the league for another second, then Cynthia spoke up.

"So how have you love birds been? It's been a week since I last heard from you two. Life treating you well?" She asked.

Celest linked her arm with Eric's and grabbed his hand.

" **We've been fantastic. We're both still recovering from what happened at Galactic's base, but we have each other to lean on.** " Celest said with a blush as Eric leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"And it's good to have someone we can talk to and be ourselves with." Eric stated, "It's sometimes hard knowing we have to hide our relationship from the public. We're just glad we don't have to hide it around you."

Cynthia smiled, "What you two have is something very special. People may not accept it now, but I think in time you won't have to hide your love for each other."

The Champion ran one of her fingers around the rim of her wine glass, then said with a giggle, "Who knows, maybe one day you two could even get married?"

Eric chuckled and glanced over at Celest. Her eyes had a dreamy gleam over them. Eric snapped his fingers and brought her back from her thoughts.

"You there?" He said with a smile as the Champion stifled another giggle, "You spaced out for a second."

" **I'm fine, love.** " Celest said with a grin, bringing her eyes back into focus on him.

"Does your kind do anything like marriage? Or something similar?" Cynthia asked.

Celest thought for a moment, then said, " **Not really. Usually once you find your mate you kinda just stay together. There isn't a special ceremony or anything to signify it.** "

The Gardevoir began to space back out again as she continued, " **It's just the idea that you humans hold an entire ceremony and have jewelry to symbolize the love and bond between two people...it's so romantic and I love it.** "

The two humans laughed again. Eric tightened his grip on Celest's hand.

"Well there's still a bit of time before anything like that." Eric said.

Cynthia set her glass back down and shifted her position on the couch to get more comfortable.

"Speaking of jewelry and bonds, I see you two are wearing the gifts I gave you."

Celest reached up with her free hand and felt the gardevoirite that hung from its gold chain around her neck. Eric did the same with the key stone that was now permanently embedded into one of his army dog tags and hung from its respective steel chain.

"Yes, we almost never take them off." Eric said proudly.

" **Thank you again for giving them to us. It means a lot.** " Celest said as well.

The Champion smiled and waved it off, "No problem. I felt that you two deserve them. It may come into use in a battle someday...also I'm curious. Why didn't you try to compete in this year's league?"

Eric shrugged, "I don't know...I still only have the three badges from years ago." He then let out a sly grin, "I also think maybe I'm getting too old to be part of the league."

Celest giggled at the comment and Cynthia pretended to be offended.

"Hey I'm older than you and I still do it!" She yelled with feigned annoyance.

Eric laughed at his own joke and the other two joined him. It felt so good to be happy again. It felt good to have a friend like the Champion and the love of his life at his side. Celest cuddled into his arm for a moment.

A knock was then heard on the locker room door, followed by the voice of a gruff man.

"Ms. Cynthia, the reporters are waiting on you for interviews!" The man yelled through the door.

The three stood up and Cynthia rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Well it looks like I have to go." She walked over and gave Eric and Celest each a hug. "You two must really visit me at my private home in Unova. I'll make sure you get the location so you can visit sometime."

" **That sounds wonderful, thank you!** " Celest said with a smile.

The Champion went to the door and opened it, revealing that a crowd was still there. The guards blocked the paparazzi from entering the room or getting too close to her. Cynthia leaned to one of the guards and said something to him, then turned back towards Eric and Celest.

"Some of my guards are going to escort you two out of the stadium so you don't get overwhelmed again." She said.

Eric and Celest nodded, thanking the Champion on their way out. Within seconds, the crowd followed Cynthia away from the locker room as she went to have her interviews. They both watched for a moment, then a security guard spoke up.

"Sir, let's please move on before you get recognized again." The guard said.

Eric nodded, then waved for Celest to follow. Luckily the crowd was more interested in following Cynthia. They made it back to Eric's vehicle without much incident and drove out of the parking lot.

Once on the road, Eric asked, "So what do you want to do now?"

Celest leaned over and buried her face into his arm and smiled into it, " **I think I have some ideas...** "

Eric blushed at the comment, and it was followed by her playfully reaching up and smacking him.

" **Not that...** " She giggled, " **What I was thinking more involved food and restaurants. Then maybe a movie back at home.** "

"Yes of course my love. I knew that." Eric said with a chuckle and a grin.

Celest then reached up and kissed him on the cheek as Eric drove through an intersection on their way to find somewhere to eat. The two were thanking Arceus once more that they found each other. Eric and Celest were happy to be together again.

* * *

 **Another chapter out of way! I hope everyone is still enjoying the story, and I want to thank all of you for your continued support! You guys are awesome! See you next time in chapter 12! Peace!**


	12. Vacation

**Hey it's Friday! I have nothing special to say, and I think everyone has the idea of how the bold and** _italics_ **work! As for the usual disclaimer: I do not, nor will I claim any ownership of Pokemon. That right belongs to its creators and respective owners. Now on to chapter 12! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Vacation**

 **One year after the events of Homecoming:**

 **"Come on Eric! I don't want us to be late!"** Celest impatiently called out from the kitchen.

She heard Eric say something from the other room, but it was muffled. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the clock. They were supposed to be leaving for Cynthia's private villa in Unova. The Champion invited the two there for a few nights to celebrate the recent successful defense of her title and also celebrate Eric and Celest's one year anniversary. The bedroom door swung open and Eric came walking through it with a backpack thrown over his shoulder.

" **What did you say mister?** " Celest said in an annoyed but teasing tone.

"I said, I'm not the one that never has to pack anything!" Eric playfully called back as he walked down the hallway.

He glowed in a blue aura and was pushed up against the wall. Celest got centimeters from his face. Her eyes locked with his; it was almost as if she was staring into his soul. She grinned.

" **You better watch your attitude and be nice to me.** " She said, backing off and playfully flicking Eric on the nose. He stuck his tongue out at her, being the only thing he could do at the moment; which prompted her to do the same. She then giggled, causing a smile to spread across Eric's face. He struggled against her physic grip.

"Alright come on, let me go so we can leave." Eric said.

She released him from her grasp, then leaned in for a kiss. They both closed their eyes as their lips connected. Eric reached up and brushed his fingers against her cheek. Celest floated a little higher off the ground, then broke away with a grin; patting him on the cheek.

" **Okay come on. Let's get going.** " She said warmly. The two mates interlaced their fingers and held hands as they walked to the front door of their house. Once outside, they let go of each other's hands and she slowed down to float behind him as to not attract unwanted attention to their affection.

A few of their neighbors were outside. The children of the neighborhood were running and playing on freshly cut lawns as their families mingled and watched over their kids. The smell of barbecue was overwhelming; it made Eric's stomach growl. He just remembered that he had not ate all morning and that it was now past noon.

" **I told you that you should have eaten something today.** " Celest giggled to herself as she heard Eric's thoughts. The soldier merely responded with a mocking face and a laugh.

Eric began to unlock his vehicle and open the door. He ducked inside the car to put his backpack into it as a rubber kickball flew through the air and hit the car door. It bounced off and started bounding and rolling across Eric's yard. Celest's eyes glowed and she caught the ball in mid air as it found its way half way across the lawn. A few kids came running up to the soldier and gardevoir as she pulled the ball closer to herself and grabbed it physically with her hands. She then turned to the children and reached the ball out to them with a smile. The three kids hesitated at first. Two of them, both boys around ten or eleven years old, didn't take a step forward. Then the young girl with them, who couldn't have been older than nine, eagerly approached the psychic pokemon and retrieved the ball.

"Thank you!" The girl excitedly told Celest.

Celest's smile widened and she nodded her head in acknowledgement. The three kids went to turn to go back to their games when the mother of one of the boys yelled from across the street.

"Boys, make sure you tell her thank you as well!" The mother said.

The older of the two boys yelled back, "But dad said I shouldn't talk to them. He said that they're weird because Mr. Hahn is dating his-."

The mother who yelled from across the street came running over and grabbed the boy's hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. She gave nervous glances towards both Eric and Celest. Eric was just about to stand from the vehicle when he heard the boy say that. He froze where he was as his cheeks burned a bright red. Celest immediately lost her smile and cocked her head to the side.

"I'm so sorry for that! Heh, you know, boys hear some crazy things!" She awkwardly said as she pulled the kids away.

Eric stood up from his car, leaning against the open door and lightly shaking his head. He looked across the road at the father of the boy. The man refused to meet Eric's gaze. He then could see the mother whispering what he could only guess were threats of discipline for the boy's words. He glanced over at Celest and saw her face was bright red. Her color then returned to normal as she floated around the car to the passenger side. Her head was down the entire time as she sat down and closed the door to hide herself. Eric let out a sigh, glancing back over at his neighbors. He liked most of them, but knew they had to suspect something.

"So Eric where are you off to this beautiful afternoon?" One of the other men across the street yelled out in an attempt to break the silence.

The soldier shrugged, "Just heading out on vacation. The Champion invited me to her villa."

"Oh that's nice! I hope you enjoy yourself!" The mother from earlier called out, trying to put on the best smile she could.

Eric shrugged again, then went to sit down in his car.

"I'll try." He said.

He closed the door, then started the engine. He gave a quick glance over at his girlfriend. Just moments ago she looked so happy to be going on vacation. Now she looked to be on the verge of tears. She had her knees pulled up to her chest. Her arms were hugging her legs as she rested her chin on her knees. She just blankly stared ahead at nothing. Eric let out another sigh and put the car into reverse. He pulled out of his driveway and then began the drive to the airport.

Back at the neighborhood, the humans watched the car leave. One of the men chuckled to himself and shook his head. The mother dropped her kind attitude and went over to her son quickly and smacked his hand.

"You do not say stuff like that to them ever again!" She yelled at him.

The boy's father yelled back at her, "Tracy let the boy go! He was only speaking the truth."

Tracy straightened her stance, staring daggers at her husband.

"Lee, I don't care! Matt should not be saying that kind of stuff! Especially in front of them!"

Lee rolled his eyes and snickered, "It's not our boy who's a disgusting person. I mean who screws a pokemon? Seriously!"

Tracy, almost in a run, moved to Lee and pointed at him, "You don't have an idea if that's even true! Eric served in the Defense Force and risked his life several times for us! Learn some respect!"

Lee pushed her finger away, getting more angry than anything now.

"I know what I see...Look at those two! They clearly think they're 'in love'! Notice how Eric always has the Gardevoir out of her ball, but not any of his other pokemon? And she follows him around everywhere! It's pretty obvious Tracy!"

"Why should we care? Even if they are together, they aren't hurting anyone! Let them be happy!" Tracy shot back, raising her voice.

"Why? Because it's sickening, that's why! Eric needs to find a human to be with, not a creature! You'd think that someone who gets to visit the beautiful and _single_ Champion whenever he wanted would be with her instead!" Lee said.

Tracy's face glowed a furious red. She spun on her heels and walked up the steps and into her house, slamming the front door behind her. Lee shook his head, then went back to attending to the grill to keep the meat from burning.

"Well that was something," Marcus, the other neighbor, said with a chuckle from his lawn chair. His wife Lane awkwardly chuckled as well as she took a drink of her tea from her seat next to Marcus. Lee quickly shot a glare towards both of them. He didn't know what they thought of Eric and his gardevoir, but he knew what he thought.

 **They're both a sickening affront to nature with believing they're "in love".** Lee thought to himself. He turned back to the grill.

 **Soon after:**

The drive so far had been silent. Eric kept a strong grip on the car's steering wheel. He glanced over at Celest every few moments hoping she'd say something. Instead she only would continue to sit in a dreary silence. Her head was rested against the window as her eyes vacantly looking out at the scenery that turned from the urban buildings of the city to the trees and fields of the country side. Eric hated when she felt like this. He wanted to cheer her up, but couldn't think of anything to say. He simply reached over the center console and placed his hand on her knee and gently rubbed her upper leg. She finally moved, placing her hand on top of his. She continued to stare out the window.

" **Why is our love forbidden?** " She asked. Her voice was in a quiet tone in his head.

Eric didn't know the answer to that. He glanced over at her again as he tried to think of an answer. He went back to looking at the road as she finally turned her head to look at him.

" **Why do we have to hide our relationship?** " She added, a few tears collected in her eyes.

Eric sighed, he had to say something. He gripped her hand and squeezed it.

"I don't know love...humans just think it's wrong to love like we do. Most simply believe that pokemon should only be pets or servants. Sometimes friends, but no more." He said.

Celest looked forward, then lowered her head.

" **It's not just humans that think that way. Many pokemon believe that as well. Most can sense relationships though unlike humans.** " She looked back up at him and continued, " **I meet several who could immediately tell we were together. There's some that are supportive of us, but there's many that think its immoral.** "

"I see..." Eric replied. He brought the car to a stop at a railroad crossing. A train blared its horn as it ran by. They sat in silence again as the train passed. Once it was gone, Eric continued driving.

" **I'm just tired of us having to hide. I want people to accept us...even if they may not agree with it. I just want tolerance. I want to be happy with you.** " Celest said. An emotional crack her voice was noticeable in Eric's head.

A single tear ran down her cheek as she looked at him. Eric gave a quick look at her and reached up, wiping the tear away.

"We'll be fine Celest, I promise. We've survived much worse than a few potential dirty looks and rude comments. I don't care what people say or think about us. I see past the fact that we're different. I love you for _who_ you are, not _what_ you are. If people can't see that, then they can go screw their selves. They won't stop us from being happy, no matter what." Eric said, bringing a small smile to his love's face.

She nodded, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

" **I love you too...and thank you.** " Celest said, feeling a little better.

Eric smiled as well, "No problem...now enough of that sad crap. We're going on vacation and I plan on enjoying it with you at my side, so I don't need you being all sad on me."

Celest's smile grew larger. She hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, replying with a small giggle, " **Of course, my loving soldier.** "

The soldier let out a chuckle. He looked ahead at the road in front of them. They were getting closer to the airport. Nothing was going to stop them from enjoying their stay at the villa.

After another half hour of driving through the country side, they made it to Celestic Town. The town was one of the oldest in Sinnoh and was also among the smallest. Nonetheless, it was still bustling with life as it was being slowly brought into the modern world. Celest had only been to Celestic Town one time before; when she was brought there in Cynthia's helicopter after being freed from Galactic the second time. She looked in awe as the town still had much of its old time appearance, but at the same time was modern with its tall buildings that dotted the area. Part of the town which rested to the side was all the original buildings that made up the village it used to be. In the center of the old buildings were the ruins of an ancient shrine and temple containing etchings and legends of the Lake Guardians. Celest always enjoyed the rustic appearances of the original village. She admired the town as they passed through it and soon pulled into the airport.

Eric and Celest got out of the vehicle and approached the small plane that awaited them. It was a sleek black jet, and its pilot patiently awaited the couple.

"Hello sir, my name is Skyla. Cynthia excitedly awaits your arrival." The pilot said, winking at Eric and reaching her hand out. Eric nodded and shook her hand. She was an attractive woman. Skyla was rather...well endowed with her beauty and bust, causing Eric to naturally take notice. He then quickly ignored it.

Celest noticed as well as she felt a jab of jealousy. She immediately delved into Eric's mind, looking for signs of anything. He definitely noticed, but she saw that his thoughts were still pure. The Gardevoir felt relief, but still gave a glare at the pilot.

"It's nice to meet you Skyla. I suppose we shouldn't waste any time. Let's get going shall we?" Eric said with a smile.

Skyla returned the smile, then turned and led them into the plane. Once Eric and Celest found their seat, they buckled in and the pilot returned to her spot in the cockpit. She closed the door behind her, leaving the mates to their selves. Celest tried to relax, but still felt the slight sense of jealousy towards Skyla.

" **I don't think I like her.** " Celest said with a small huff and crossing her arms.

Eric raised an eyebrow, then asked, "Why not? She seems nice."

Celest looked over at Eric, giving him the stink eye, " **I don't like competition...I saw how she looked at you with that wink.** "

The soldier let out a laugh, then wrapped his arm around her.

"Sweetheart, she isn't competition. I love you and only you. Nothing will change that, I promise." He said. Seeing that she looked away with her arms still crossed, Eric continued, "I'm positive you probably read my mind already...I'm sure you could see that nothing crossed my thoughts. I'm loyal to you."

She looked back over at him, " **Yea...I guess.** "

Eric wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. He gave her a big kiss on the cheek and then kissed her repeatedly on her neck, causing her to be ticklish. She started giggling as she tried to push him away. Eric laughed and let go. They held both of their hands and stared into each other's eyes. Both of them had huge grins.

" **I love you Eric,** " Celest said. He smiled bigger.

"I love you too Celestial." Eric replied.

The plane started to take off, breaking the two from their spell. They sat back into their seats, excited to be closer to the villa.

"In only a few hours, we'll find ourselves laying around and relaxing on the sands of the beach. It's going to be wonderful." Eric said, looking out the plane's window.

Celest didn't respond. She only warmly smiled as she laid her head back and closed her eyes. She decided to nap on the flight there.

 **Several hours later:**

Celest was still asleep. In her dreams her and Eric were on top of a mountain. She couldn't tell where exactly, but the mountain top was flat with what appeared to be ruins of an ancient temple. In the center of the ruins stood Cyrus, the leader of Galactic. He had an evil grin as two large god-like dragon pokemon rose from the ground. Red chains subdued the pokemon and controlled everything they did.

Everything sounded as if Celest had cotton balls in her ears. Cyrus was yelling something, but his words were muffled. He had his arms rose into the air as the two godly pokemon roared. Celest and Eric could only stare, unable to move. Then, pools of black opened in the floor of the ruins between the two legendary pokemon. Out of the dark pools, a third giant pokemon appeared. It was completely black, like a shadow. It looked to mere mortals as only a blob of darkness with two blazing red eyes. It then began to take shape as huge black wings with blood red tips formed on its sides. This third pokemon then let out a roar of its own as Celest was woken up.

It was Eric who woke her. He gently shook her until she opened her eyes. He grinned at her, then pinched her cheek playfully. She groaned and slapped his hand away.

"Hey we're here. Wake up." He said with a chuckle.

Celest mumbled something, then sat up and stretched her arms. She let out a yawn and closed her eyes again to rub them. She decided to ignore her dream for now and pushed it to the side. Once she reopened her eyes and stood up, she noticed that Eric was already waiting by the plane's door, just looking at her.

" **What are you staring at human?** " She said with a feigned annoyance.

Eric shrugged and responded, "You're just so cute, that's all."

She floated towards the door, saying with a playful and mocking tone, " **Thank you, but I'm afraid I'm taken.** "

Eric chuckled, then replied as he got in front of the door, "Oh I see. Well I bet he's a handsome devil."

Celest couldn't contain a laugh. She rolled her eyes and gently pushed Eric away from the door with her powers.

" **Ha!** **He wishes.** " She said, floating past him and across the tarmac.

Eric smiled and shook his head. He then adjusted the backpack on his shoulders and ran to catch up to her. She paused and turned to watch him, holding out her hand with a smile. He caught up and grabbed her hand. They then looked in the direction they were headed. Cynthia's private villa was just a short distance away. Tall stone walls surrounded the villa that sprawled out several hundred meters ahead. Celest's eyes glowed and the next thing Eric knew, they were standing at the front gate.

The Gardevoir looked over and grinned at Eric.

" **I didn't feel like walking the whole way.** " She said with a giggle.

He shook his head and grinned, "Thanks babe."

Celest beamed for a second, then Eric turned to the intercom next to the gate. He pressed a key. A second of silence passed, then Cynthia's voice came over the intercom.

"Yes?" she asked.

"It's Eric and Celest. We're here." Eric responded.

"Eric! Celest! You two made it!" Cynthia yelled over the comms. The sudden spike in volume startled the mates, "I unlocked the gates, please come around to the back patio!"

The gates swung open and Eric and Celest moved past them and into the villa. Once past the gates, the large ornate iron gates swung shut and a loud clang was heard as it locked. The two followed along the short drive way up to the large and gorgeous villa home. They turned off the driveway and onto a side path that lead around towards the back. Once around the corner they saw that the entire back yard of the villa was opened up to the ocean. Between the waters of the ocean and the private home was nestled a large patio covered with various expensive lawn chairs and tables. A full-sized swimming pool sat behind the house and a path went a short way to a hedge maze, with another path going towards the ocean.

Eric and Celest were stunned by the beauty of everything they saw. They stood in place and admired it. After a few moments, they both were broken from their spell by Cynthia calling out for them. They turned back to the patio and saw the Champion jumping up from a lawn chair. She had been tanning in the bright sunlight. She wore only a bikini as she approached the two, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself as she got close.

Celest moved forward, holding her arms out and hugging Cynthia when she got within reach. Cynthia laughed and returned the hug, then turned and gave Eric a hug as well. The Champion was beaming with joy.

"I'm so happy that you two decided to come." Cynthia began, "I went ahead and told the employees working here to take off for a few days so you guys don't have to worry about other people being around. I want you two to enjoy yourselves while you're here. Go swimming in the pool, walk the beaches, whatever you two want. This is your home as well for a few days."

Eric nodded, "Thanks Cynthia. It means a lot."

Celest nodded as well, " **Yes, thank you so much for letting us stay here for a few nights.** "

Cynthia closed her eyes with a smile, then gestured with her arm towards the home.

"Why don't you guys follow me and I'll show you around?" she asked.

"Sure," Eric replied. Celest linked her arm with his and they followed the Champion throughout her home. She showed them where their room was situated. She then led them to where the bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, and gaming rooms were located. On their way through the house, they ran into a young girl. She was about ten or so years old with brunette hair and gray eyes. She was pulling along a small luggage bag as a piplup walked along beside her.

"I thought you weren't leaving for another few days?" Cynthia asked.

The girl refused to look Cynthia in the eyes, "I wasn't, but I decided to go early."

The girl gave a glancing look at Eric and Celest as Cynthia proudly introduced her, "This is my daughter Verity. She's on her way to the Kanto Region to begin her journey as a trainer."

Eric gave a friendly smile at the girl, "That's awesome. I'm sure you'll do great in Kanto!"

"I'm sure she will." Cynthia said with a proud smile. Her daughter didn't seem to notice it.

"I'll be the best and prove to everyone I'm a great trainer!" Verity proclaimed, looking up at Eric.

Cynthia reached down and hugged Verity.

"Please be careful sweetie. Make sure to call me every now and then okay?" Cynthia said as a bit of sadness crept into her voice.

"I will mom." Verity said, "I gotta go now though. Our driver is waiting for me out front."

She then turned and ran towards the door as the small piplup waddled as fast as it could to keep up. Once out of sight, Celest noticed a tear roll down Cynthia's cheek.

" **What's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy for Verity?** " Celest asked.

Cynthia chuckled and wiped the tear away, looking over at the Gardevoir, "I am happy for her. I just feel bad because she thinks I'm not proud of her. She thinks she has to be a champion to make me happy just because I'm a champion."

Eric replied, "I could understand that. Having a parent that is an undefeated champ definitely puts a lot on a kid's shoulders. It makes them think they have a huge expectation from the parent that they have to live up to."

Cynthia nodded, then looked back at the front door, "Yea...I just wish she knew I am proud of her no matter what. She doesn't have to be a champion to make me happy. She could lose every battle and I'd still be proud of her...though I'm sure she's more capable than that."

Eric and Celest laughed for a moment, to which Cynthia added, "Oh you know what I mean! I'm not saying I expect her to lose or win!"

" **We know, we just thought that was funny. That's all.** " Celest said, recovering from her laughter.

The Champion smiled and sighed, "Well then, how about we continue the tour and then we can start getting dinner ready?"

Eric and Celest nodded, and then went to see the rest of the house.

 **A few hours later:**

It was nighttime now. The sky was without clouds and one could see every star in the night. The moon was bright and cast a glow onto everything. Eric and Celest walked hand-in-hand along the beach. Celest lowered herself to the ground and physically walked instead of levitating. She left circular footprints in the sand alongside Eric's. Their fingers were tightly intertwined as they walked. Celest stared out at the ocean. It was a beautiful sight. Eric looked up at the sky and counted the stars. In his free hand he carried a large towel.

They continued to walk and enjoy the night when they came to a stop on the beach. The villa wasn't in view, only a steep cliff leading up to the forests of Unova was behind them. Eric laid out the towel and the two mates sat down on it to keep out of the sand. They continued to hold hands as they stared out at the water. Celest leaned and rested against Eric.

" **It's so gorgeous.** " Celest said in awe, " **I could sit here with you forever.** "

"Yeah." Eric said, enjoying Celest's presence. He then looked down at his watch. The time showed just past midnight, "Happy anniversary love."

Celest looked over at Eric as he did the same. Their eyes locked for a moment before they kissed. Once their lips separated, Celest responded, " **Happy anniversary to you as well.** "

Eric's face beamed, causing her to blush. Then Eric's eyes lowered as he felt he had something on his mind. Celest knew she could just read his mind and find out, but she didn't want to intrude his thoughts.

" **Something bothering you love?** " Celest asked.

Eric looked back up her. He tried to smile as he said, "It's nothing."

She shook her head and brushed her hand against his cheek, " **It's obviously something, and I can find out myself you know. Just tell me.** "

Eric sighed, then looked back at the ocean.

"I've just always wondered. Why did you trust me?" He asked.

She seemed puzzled, " **What do you mean?** "

Eric responded, "I don't mean now. I know you trust me now...I mean the day we met, when you were still a Kirlia. We hadn't known each other yet, and you had just lost both of your parents."

He took a deep breath as Celest kept her crimson eyes locked on him. He continued, "Not only that, before me all you knew in life was the horrors and beatings that Galactic had put you through. All you knew of the human race was the atrocities we could commit. Why did you trust me after all that?"

Celest was struck by the question. She never truly thought about it. She knew why, but she never had to put it into words. She squeezed Eric's hand tighter.

" **Well...at first I didn't. When I first saw you I thought you were going to kill me.** " Celest began, " **My mom was dying, and I wasn't in a position at the time to defend myself. I thought seeing you meant the end...but when you didn't shoot and instead tried to save my mother, it put a wedge in everything I knew about humanity.** "

Eric finally turned back to his girlfriend. They stared into each other's eyes as she continued talking, " **I still didn't want to trust you though. Even if my horns saw no hostile intent in you, I just didn't trust it. Then my mother told me that I'd be okay. Her powers were more tuned than mine, and she saw everything in you. She saw that you had just lost your friend. That you were really just as lonely as we were even if you weren't in captivity. She saw nothing but kindness in your heart.** "

Celest leaned over and gave a quick kiss to Eric, " **She told me all of these things just before she died. She said that you were different and that I just couldn't see it yet...when she passed I didn't want to believe there were good humans. That's why I teleported away from you...so when you found me again and did everything in your power to protect me...and seeing that you're own gyarados loved and trusted you so much that he'd sacrifice his own life for you...I started to realize that she was telling the truth.** "

The gardevoir then reached up and caressed Eric's face, " **And when I evolved, I was able to sense every emotion in you. I saw what she did. I saw that you held no contempt towards us. No hatred. No malice. Just pure thoughts and a drive to try to protect me...that's when I realized I could trust you, Eric.** "

She smiled, earning the same from him. Eric had a small tear of joy roll down his cheek.

"Thank you for trusting me Celest." He said.

" **And thank you for accepting me and bringing me in.** " Celest responded, " **Now enough of that...let's go night swimming shall we?** "

She stood and pulled Eric to his feet. He gave her a confused look.

"Swimming sounds great but...I didn't bring any swimwear." He said.

She chuckled and grinned slyly at him, " **We're alone out here...who said we need to wear anything?** "

A bright red flush made Eric's cheeks burn. She giggled at him.

"Um...yeah ok, sure love." He said, his cheeks still burning. He was only wearing a pair of shorts, but he seemed to hesitate.

Celest giggled again, then reached her hand out.

" **Why don't you help me?** " she asked.

Eric gently grabbed her hand and held it as it slid back out of the green sleeve-like part of her dress. She held out her other hand and they repeated the process with the other sleeve. Eric had no idea that the green of her hands and arms that extended to cover part of her chest wasn't actually part of her skin, but rather her dress. Once her arms were free of her sleeves, she peeled the dress away and let it fall off of her. She now stood in front him stark naked. Her slender body was snow white from her head to the tips of her legs. Only the green of her hair, the crimson of her eyes and the red blade protruding from her bare chest contrasted the white of her skin. Celest slightly blushed and watched Eric as he examined her body in a loving manner.

" **Well?...What do you think?** " She asked with a smile.

Eric stuttered, "Y-your beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous."

She leaned forward and kissed him. Then she said, "Your turn."

The blush returned to his face as he reached for his shorts. He pulled them down and stepped out of them. He was still very fit and Celest had to suppress a gleeful squeal at the sight. Eric laughed, then took her hand.

"Let's get in the water shall we?" He said.

The two got into the water and swam around for awhile. Once they were done, they left the water and went back to their towel while not bothering to get dressed. Celest then sat on Eric's lap, facing him. She pulled him into a deep kiss. They closed their eyes as the kiss lasted several moments and their tongues met in love. Her heart piece jabbed Eric in the chest, though he didn't mind. It was glowing slightly with joyous emotions and was very warm to the touch. He laid one of his hands on it, feeling it while his other hand held the side of her head. Her heart shard pulsated lightly with her heart beat and was solid; like bone covered in a layer of red skin. He figured it must have been a protective casing for her heart.

Celest smiled at him, glancing down at the hand that was rested on her heart. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again deeply as she ground her bare hips slowly against his. She then stared into his eyes with a look of wanting. Eric knew what this meant. He was somewhat excited but worried at the same time.

"Are you sure Celest?" Eric asked in a soft voice, "We don't have to if you're not completely comfortable."

Celest nodded her head, then gave him a quick kiss on the nose, " **You're my mate, and I love you with all my heart. I want this.** "

Eric nodded as well, rejoining his lips to hers in a deep and loving kiss. Celest lifted herself up off his lap, reaching down to position him to enter her. He placed his hands on her hips and slowly pushed her down onto him, pressing into her carefully. Celest slightly winced and gasped behind their kiss, causing Eric to pause.

"Are you ok?" He asked, not wanting to hurt her.

She nodded, " **Yes, it just hurts a little. Don't worry, I'll be fine.** "

She then pulled him back to continue the kiss as she lowered herself onto him. Within moments he was inside her completely. Eric placed his hands on her rear and picked her up as he turned around to lay her on her back. Celest tightened her arms around him and slightly clawed at his back as he was moving inside her. They both had nothing but feelings of ecstasy and pure love for each other as they mated. Once it was over, they both got dressed and went back to the villa. The couple held hands and both had warm smiles on their faces as they walked back. They were truly happy.

* * *

 **And that is the end for chapter 12! I hope I did right with the final part of the chapter. I do not write lemons, nor will I so I hope you as the reader didn't take that last past as such. I hope it came across in a romantic and loving way that suits the setting. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! More is to come with the next one...maybe even a new character to join up with Eric and Celest! You'll have to find out who next week in chapter 13, see you all then! Peace!**


	13. Poacher

**Hey it's Friday already! Let's** **get the usual disclaimers out of the way and we'll get into it! Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or any part of it. Pokemon belong to its respective owners. On to the chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Poacher**

It was the morning after Eric and Celest had arrived at Cynthia's private villa in Unova. Eric laid peacefully asleep in bed when the alarm went off. He groaned, reaching over and grabbing his phone. Through half open eyes he shut off the alarm. He then closed his eyes again and rolled over. He reached across the bed to wrap his arm around his love, but found only empty blankets. His eyes opened once more, then he sat up and scanned the room as he stretched. Celest was nowhere to be seen in the room. Eric shrugged and rubbed his eyes. It was normal for her to be up before him. She always needed less sleep and seemed to be awake right at the crack of dawn.

Eric swung his leg off the side of the bed and reached for his prosthetic. He strapped it in place and stood up. He quickly got dressed in something more modest than nothing and went off for the bathroom. Once there he swiftly showered and shaved. Feeling refreshed and ready for the day, the soldier made his way towards the Cynthia's kitchen.

Before even getting to the kitchen, he could smell the strong odors of cooked breakfast. He reached the door and pushed it open. Across the room and in front of the stove was Celest. She was busy cooking a large amount of food with a graceful sway to every one of her movements. She had several things going on at once. Skillets with bacon and eggs frying were on one side of the stove as she was also cooking hash browns and cutting fresh oranges. Coffee was brewing in the nearby coffee pot. The whole time she was cooking, she only actually physically contacted whatever she could immediately handle with her two hands; everything else was being handled by her using her physic powers. Eric stood in the doorway watching her. She gleefully danced as she cooked. She was glowing with joy, and it brought a warmth to Eric's heart. After a moment of watching her, Eric felt a presence behind him.

"It wasn't my idea for her to cook breakfast...she insisted." Cynthia said with a chuckle, startling Eric. He turned around and saw the Champion behind him. She stood in the hall, dressed her bathrobe. Eric stepped aside and let her enter the kitchen.

The sudden voice seemed to startle Celest as well, making her jump slightly. She then turned around with a big smile, continuing to cook using her powers. She floated over to Eric and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

" **Good morning my love.** " She said, brushing her hand against his, " **I hope you're ready for breakfast soon.** "

"I am darling. I'm starving actually." Eric responded with a smile. Celest's face beamed as she turned back to the stove.

Cynthia looked at the Gardevoir as she floated back to the stove with a near angel-like grace. She looked back at Eric with a sly grin.

"Well it looks like you're both in a good mood this morning. Her especially." The Champion said with a chuckle, "You two must have had a good time last night."

Eric slightly blushed, glancing over at his girlfriend. She didn't seem to react.

"Yeah, we did. We laid out on the beach for a while and did some swimming," Eric replied.

Cynthia smiled, "Sounds like a good time." She paused, then said, "Why don't we head over to the dining room and let Celest finish up cooking?"

Eric nodded, then followed the Champion out of the room. They went to the dining room and Eric sat at the long dining table. It looked heavy, being made of thick oak planks stained a dark red finish. The wood's grain proudly stood out as Eric rested his arms on the table. Cynthia walked over by the windows and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight filled the room through the large windows as she let out a sigh and reached into her bathrobe's pocket. She pulled out a small brush and began to brush her long blonde hair. After a second of silence, she spoke up.

"So Celest told me there was a slight issue involving your neighbors?" Cynthia asked, turning to look at Eric.

He straightened in his chair. **Celest must have said something this morning before I woke up...** He thought to himself. He knew it was okay for Cynthia to know these things, they did trust her after all. Eric was just shocked to know that the ordeal still seemed to be on Celest's mind.

"Yeah...nothing I can't ignore and move past." Eric said.

Cynthia put her brush away, then crossed her arms.

"Celest said she was able to read the minds of the kids and their parents." She began, "She said that the kids may not have understood, but that their parents definitely have a large suspicion of what's going on between you two...especially the father of that boy."

She leaned back against the window, adjusting her bathroom as she continued, "She said that the father couldn't guarantee it, but he pretty well knew you and her were together and that he is completely against it. Aggressively so."

Eric lowered his head. He had no idea that she read their minds in that moment. That's why it seemed to bother her more than it did him. He sighed.

"Well what are we supposed to do about it?" Eric asked, tapping his fingers against the table, "We can't just confront the dickhead about it."

Cynthia chuckled, "Of course you can't. It'll only serve to make the issue worse."

She walked over to the table and sat down, "I say you simply ignore it and pretend that you don't know that he knows. Treat him with kindness and show no hostility towards any of them. Make him look like an ass for hating you and her just because you two are together."

"Well yeah he's an ass!" Eric said with a laugh. Cynthia smacked him on the arm.

"You know what I mean!" She replied with a smile, "Because his kid put it out there that he thinks less of you two, he may try to make you look like a sick monster to get others to see the same thing. Treat them with kindness and they'll find that you and her look no different than any other couple, and he'll be the monster everyone goes after."

Eric nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

Cynthia grinned wider, "I know I am."

Eric shook his head and snickered at the comment. He was about to say something in response when Celest came floating through the door with plates of food. She held a plate in one hand with a mug of coffee in the other as several other plates hovered around her. She gracefully went to the table and sat the plates down in front of Cynthia and Eric. She then placed her own down next to the soldier. Before sitting down, she leaned over and kissed Eric on top of the head. The smell was overwhelming, causing Eric's mouth to water.

" **Dig in!** " Celest exclaimed.

The three began eating without a beat. Eric felt like he was starving and as a result was scarfing down his eggs and bacon, getting ready to down his hash browns. Cynthia was sampling a bit of everything on her plate, her eyes gleaming.

"Oh my, Celest the food is amazing!" She exclaimed, "I may just have to replace my chef with you!"

Celest stopped eating to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. She then replied, " **Thank you Cynthia, I think that's more of a compliment than Eric ever gave me!** "

Eric didn't look up from his plate. He was still chewing on his food when he playfully elbowed Celest in retaliation for her comment. Celest and Cynthia both laughed at that. The three then finished their food in a relative, but happy silence. Once everyone was done eating, Eric leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach.

"Oh man...that was really good babe," He said, reaching over to rub Celest's back. She turned and smiled at him as she got up.

She collected everyone's empty plates into one stack, then began to make her way towards the door to the kitchen. On her way through, Cynthia cut her off; grabbing the stack of plates out of her hands.

"Let me take care of the dishes, you two head on outside. I'll be there in a moment." The Champion said.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. We are your guests after all," Eric replied. Cynthia just shook her head and waved him off.

"No really, you two head out into the sun for a bit. It won't take me long." She said with a smile.

Eric smiled back and nodded as Celest floated over to him and linked her arm with his. Cynthia then left the room as the gardevoir hanging off of him began to pull Eric out the door to the back patio. Once outside, Eric has to shield his eyes for a moment from the sun. It was beautiful out.

" **Let's go through the maze while we're waiting.** " Celest said, pointing at the large hedgerow maze splayed out in the courtyard behind the villa.

"Sure, as long as we don't get lost. Might take us awhile to find our way out." He replied as she began pulling him along before he could finish.

" **Oh we'll be fine. It can't be that hard.** " She replied.

The two then entered the maze. As they walked its corridors Eric was amused by the fact that the whole thing was kept up. Even details such as sculptures of various pokemon were clipped into the corners of many of the walls of the maze. It amazed him that the Champion had employees whose job it was to walk this maze occasionally just to upkeep it. As the two walked, Celest held Eric's hand and seemed to be looking at the same things he was. After approximately ten or fifteen minutes, Celest stopped. Eric stopped as well.

"Something wrong?" He asked. She just looked at him with a gleam in her eye.

" **No, nothing at all.** " She said as she got closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard on the lips. Their tongues met for a split second, causing heat to rise to Eric's cheeks. She then pulled her face away and stared lovingly into his eyes, " **I just haven't got to really kiss you this morning.** "

Eric chuckled, causing her to grin.

"Oh yeah? That's all it was?" He said, kissing her on the cheek. Her face flushed pink for a moment.

" **Yep, that's it.** " She said. The look in her eyes then changed as she tightened her hug and gave him a sly grin, " **Though...I would like to repeat what happened last night some time.** "

She winked at him as he cheeks flushed again. He grinned back at her.

"Of course my love," he said.

The two started kissing again when they heard Cynthia call for them from somewhere in the distance. Eric and Celest didn't leave each other's eyes as they separated from their hug. They still held hands as her eyes glowed and they teleported back to the patio. They appeared behind Cynthia, who wasn't yet aware they were there.

"Boo." Eric said, making the Champion jump. She spun around.

"Oh! There you two are! Where did you?...Never mind." She said with a giggle, earning the same from the couple. She then tossed Eric his trainers belt with his pokeballs.

"What's this?" he asked.

The Champion gestured towards the beach, "You, me. Right now. Let's have a friendly battle."

Eric grinned, "Sure, let's do it. Do I become Champion if I win?"

"Keep wishing." Cynthia said with a smirk. The three walked down to the beach. Eric and the Champion then stood apart about the standard distance for a battle. Celest floated off to the side to watch.

"What shall be the rules for this battle, Miss Champion?" Eric asked with a playful smart-ass tone.

"We shall each use only one pokemon. No substitutes." Cynthia said as she pulled a pokeball out.

"Seems good to me, let's do it!" Eric said with a grin as he grabbed one as well. They then both tossed their pokeballs out.

"Garchomp, battle dance!" The Champion called out.

"Garchomp, you're up!" Eric yelled at the same time.

Both dragons appeared from their pokeballs facing each other. Eric's Garchomp went to let out a roar, but then froze up when he found himself going up against the Champion's Garchomp. The two humans both laughed at the realization that they sent out the same pokemon. They both forgot that Garchomps were both of their go-to pokemon for battles.

" **You wanna both swap out for different pokemon?** " Celest asked, laughing to herself.

Eric's Garchomp turned and let out a noise at him. It seemed like his Garchomp didn't want to fight the Champion's dragon.

"What's wrong Garchomp? Afraid you'll lose?" Eric teased.

His Garchomp let out another snort noise. Celest 'aww'd' from the sideline.

"What? What did he say?" Eric asked.

" **Garchomp isn't afraid of her. He doesn't want to fight her because he basically has a crush on Cynthia's Garchomp and doesn't want to hurt her.** " She said.

The Champion's Garchomp cocked her head to the side as Eric's dragon looked back at her. The two then started making noises as if they were talking.

"Oh really now?" Cynthia chuckled, "That's something new I haven't seen."

She then called out to her Garchomp, "What do you think? Do you want to fight or sit this one out?"

Her Garchomp turned and looked at the Champion for a moment, then back at Eric's Garchomp. After a second, she slowly walked over to the other dragon, then started nuzzling his neck. This action was received by another 'aww' from Celest.

" **She doesn't want to fight him. She remembers how he came running to fight for her back at Galactic's base when she got hurt.** " Celest said.

Eric and Cynthia both grinned.

"Well then, how about we let those two go enjoy themselves and get to know each other and we'll both use different pokemon?" Eric said, reaching for another pokeball.

"Seems good to me." Cynthia replied, doing the same. She tossed out another pokeball as the two Garchomps walked off the battlefield together, "Go Lucario!"

The aura pokemon stood at the ready, waiting for Eric to choose his pokemon to battle.

 **Lucario...steel/fighting dual type, weak against fire...I'll use Arcanine for this.** Eric thought to himself as he reached for his pokeball. He grabbed it and was about to toss the pokeball when Celest levitated onto the battlefield. Eric paused, confused by her action.

"Celest what are you doing?" He asked, "You don't have to fight."

She didn't look at him. She came to a stop a short distance in front of Cynthia's Lucario. She smiled. The Gardevoir then threw her arms out, causing her dress to blow in the gust of wind she created with it.

"Yeah, Celest you don't have to." Cynthia said.

" **I've never been in a proper battle like this. I want to face you Champion.** " She said proudly.

Eric smiled. He felt proud of her. "Are you sure? I don't want you to get hurt."

She glanced at him from over her shoulder.

" **I'll be fine. I want to battle.** " She replied, " **I won't let you down, love.** "

Eric nodded, "Alright then."

Cynthia held her hand out in front of her, "Okay! I'll let you two go first."

Eric smirked, "Alright, Celest! Use physic!"

Celest's eyes glowed as she reached out with her hands, causing a pressure wave of energy blast through the air. Sand was blown up in a ring as the blast flew straight for the lucario. It hit, throwing the bipedal dog-like pokemon back. He flew through the air and landed on his back, then quickly jumped to his feet.

"Lucario, use dragon pulse!" Cynthia called out. Her lucario opened his mouth, and a ball of multicolored energy shot out. The ball went straight for Celest.

"Use protect!" Eric ordered. Celest surrounded herself with a field of protective energy. The ball hit, blowing sand up an obscuring everyone's view. A few moments passed, then the sand fell back down and revealed Celest to be completely unharmed, "Now use shadow ball!"

Celest brought her hands together and charged a shadow ball, then threw it.

"Dodge it and use aura sphere!" Cynthia yelled.

Her Lucario quickly jumped to the side, dodging the shadow ball. He then put his hands together and a ball of blue energy appeared. He threw it hard at the gardevoir.

"Celest teleport!" Eric yelled. He didn't want her getting hurt.

Celest tried using teleport, but the unavoidable blue ball of power hit her and knocked her back. Eric ran and caught her just before she landed. She appeared dazed by the hit, and groaned a bit in pain.

"Alright, you're done Celest. I'm pulling you out before you get any more hurt." Eric said. She shook her head and stood up.

" **No. I will win this.** " She said, floating back over onto the battlefield.

"Are you sure you're okay Celest?" Cynthia asked.

" **I'm fine. Let us continue.** " She said with a determined look.

"Alright then..." Eric quietly said.

" **Don't worry love, I know what to do. Let me handle this.** " She said in his mind and not transmitting it to the Champion. Eric smiled as he trusted his girlfriend.

"Lucario, use metal claw!" Cynthia ordered with a wave of her hand.

Celest stood completely still as the aura pokemon rushed at her as his claws glowed white. He swung his arm at the Gardevoir...but suddenly she was gone. She had teleported just before his attack connected. The Lucario froze up and began looking around, but couldn't see where she had gone.

"Lucario above you!" Cynthia yelled out, pointing.

Above the pokemon, Celest levitated about a ten meters in the air. She had her hands facing each other in front of her as a huge ball of pink energy gathered between her hands.

"Moon blast!" Eric cheered out as she was already charging up the attack.

She fired the attack, sending the pink ball straight down at the helpless Lucario. The massive attack hit and smashed the Lucario into the ground in a small explosion. Smoke and sand was sent in every direction. Celest then teleported to be at Eric's side. As the smoke cleared, Celest reached out with her psychic powers and lifted the pokemon out of the crater she inadvertently made. Cynthia's Lucario was knocked out cold with the single, powerful attack.

Cynthia smiled, then walked across the battlefield towards the couple. She gingerly took the unconscious aura pokemon into her arms, thanking him for trying. She then called him back into his ball for a rest. The Champion then looked back up at Celest and Eric, reaching out to hug the Gardevoir.

"Congratulations Celest. You did amazing." Cynthia said with a smile.

" **Thank you Cynthia.** " Celest replied as they parted from their hug.

Eric then ran over to his Gardevoir and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up in the tight hug.

"Oh babe, I'm so proud of you! You did awesome!" Eric said as he planted a large kiss on her lips. She placed her hands on either side of his face as she returned the kiss. Cynthia giggled to herself at the sight.

" **Thank you, my love.** " Celest said, parting from their embrace, " **And thank you letting me battle.** "

Eric smiled as the two held hands. Cynthia looked on for a moment then said, "Good job to both of you. You see Eric? Had you gotten the other badges, you could have had a chance of kicking me off the throne."

They all laughed, then Eric got a thoughtful look on his face.

"You know what?" He looked over at Celest, "I might just give it some thought. It's been too long, and I'm sure my other pokemon would love the chance at another crack at it."

Celest smiled and squeezed his hand, " **Of course they would, and I'll be there for you as well.** "

The three then all remembered something and began to look around. Cynthia then spoke up, "Speaking of pokemon...Our Garchomps disappeared on us."

The two dragon types were nowhere to be seen. They looked around a bit more as Celest tried to sense for them.

" **They're both still close...** " She said, feeling for them with her heart, " **...over there.** "

She pointed off in the distance, further down the beach. In the distance, the two pokemon came around the corner of a rock wall. They were walking close to each other, making soft, talking-like noises at each other and they occasionally nuzzled each other with their noses. The Champion chuckled.

"Well it looks like our Garchomps have gotten to liking each other." She said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, it sure does look like it." Eric replied.

The group watched the two Garchomps for a few more moments, then Cynthia asked.

"So what do you two have planned for today?"

Celest linked her arm with Eric's, " **We thought about going for a walk in the wilderness for a little bit.** "

"Yeah we haven't been on a good nature walk in awhile." Eric added, "We figured we'd hike for a bit, then come back in time for dinner."

Cynthia smiled at the two, nodding. "That sounds nice. Today would be a great day for it with this beautiful weather."

She then looked back at the two dragons as they still walked together.

"Why don't you guys go ahead and get your hike started? I'll stay here and watch these two love birds." She said.

Eric and Celest both nodded as they turned to walk away. They began their walk down the dirt pathway leading from Cynthia's villa with the sun at their backs.

 **About an hour later:**

The sun shone brightly between the leaves and branches of the trees that intertwined amongst themselves in the forest. The sounds of many wild pokemon filled the peaceful air as Eric and Celest walked hand-in-hand along the trail. Neither of the lovers talked. They simply enjoyed the other's presence as they watched and listened to all the wildlife around them. Along the way, Eric made sure to pick some berries off a few bushes that they had passed. He popped a few into his mouth, then offered some to Celest. She eagerly took a few and ate them as well. After another few minutes of walking, the two came to a rest at a small clearing in the woods.

The couple laid out in the grass and looked up at the clouds. Celest rested her head on Eric's chest as she gazed at the sky. The soldier was silent for a few seconds, he just slowly rubbed her arm with his hand. He then spoke up.

"It's so beautiful out here." He said.

" **Yes it is beautiful.** " She replied. She then looked over at him and asked, " **Do you think we could move to Celestic Town when we go back to Sinnoh?** "

Eric looked down at her, "Is it because of our neighbors?"

She got a saddened look in her eyes, then it disappeared.

" **Kinda...I mean that's not just it. I just really like Celestic Town. That and I know it's where you grew up after moving to Sinnoh.** "

"Yeah..." He said, "I guess we could. I'm sure Mom would like that as well."

Celest giggled, " **I'm sure she would. I heard the house next to hers is open. What about there?** "

Eric thought for a second, then replied, "Yeah. That'd be a decent place."

The gardevoir squealed in glee. She rolled over and kissed him real quick.

" **Then it's settled!** " She exclaimed, " **We're moving to Celestic Town!** "

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. He felt like he was being hugged to death, but he managed a laugh and hugged her back. She went back to kissing him. The two laid there making out for a few moments.

After a few seconds, Eric spoke up with flushed cheeks, "Alright now. Let's continue walking shall we?"

He attempted to stand, but she playfully held him down. She got on top of him with a grin.

" **Not just yet soldier boy...** " She teased. Eric felt blood rerouting from his head.

"What is with you lately?" He said with a chuckle, "Do Gardevoirs go into heat or something?"

She leaned forward, kissing his neck.

" **Yes...** " she said, pausing her kissing, " **But I also just really love you.** "

Eric wrapped his arms around her again and smiled at her, "Well alright love, but we can't be too long. Dinner is supposed to be in a few hours...I also don't want to worry Cynthia."

Celest continued to kiss him as she reached down and unbuckled Eric's pants.

" **This won't take long. I promise.** " She said with a sly grin.

Once the mates were done making love, they got dressed and continued on their walk. Eric felt somewhat lightheaded. Celest, on the other hand, seemed full of energy and was absolutely glowing. He couldn't help but smile at her. He never knew he'd love the pokemon beside him as much as he did, and he was grateful to have her. Then a question popped up in his head. He opened his mouth to speak.

" **Yes my love?** " Celest asked before Eric could even ask permission to ask her his question. He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"I wonder...is it possible for us to, you know, make a child?" He seemed nervous and awkward asking that.

They continued walking as she pondered the question. Then her angelic voice came back into his head.

" **No...humans give live birth, while pokemon lay eggs. We're incompatible in that regard.** " She said, looking somewhat disappointed.

Eric squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry darling...I didn't meant to upset you." He said.

Celest looked quickly over at him, " **Oh no love, you're fine!...It's just that...I kinda want to have a child someday. But it can't biologically happen with you...** "

Eric thought for a moment. The two walked in silence for a bit. Then an idea popped into Eric's mind. He smiled really big and looked back over at Celest.

"I have an idea, love." He began, "How about when we get back to Sinnoh, we'll work on adopting a baby pokemon for us to raise?"

Celest's face lit up.

" **I didn't think about that!** " She embraced her boyfriend, squeezing him half to death, " **I would love that!** "

Eric could feel the life being hugged out of him. He couldn't find himself able to breathe. **Babe, let go before I suffocate.** He thought to her.

She gasped and let go of him, laughing apologetically.

" **I'm sorry hun.** " She said as he nervously rubbed the back of her head.

"No problem sweetheart." Eric replied as he grabbed her hand and they continued to walk along the path.

As they went along, Celest noticeably seemed even happier than before. Eventually the path merged into a wider main path going through the woods. They both figured that it eventually led to a nearby town. Turning down the larger path, they began their walk back towards the villa. After a few more moments, Eric and Celest could hear noises over the next hill. It sounded like a pokemon battle.

Both of them froze up, and Eric turned to Celest.

"Celest, go hide and watch from the tree line. I'm going to check this out." He said, reaching behind his back to make sure he still had the small revolver he carried. It was still there, and he made sure his shirt covered it as he continued up the hill.

" **Be careful...** " Celest said as she teleported away to somewhere within the trees.

Eric reached the crest of the hill and crossed over it slowly. At the bottom on the other side was a man rummaging around in the back of an old beaten up truck. A Houndoom walked around the vehicle as if it was protecting it. There were signs of a battle in the forest just off the path next to the truck. The man had a pokemon egg in his arms, and was placing it into a container. The soldier didn't like what he was seeing, so he figured he'd approach slowly.

The Houndoom quickly caught scent of the human getting closer, and it growled and got between Eric and the vehicle. The man in the bed of the truck stood up and looked over at him.

"May I help you?" The man said.

Eric put on a cool demeanor, "Yessir. I heard a battle while on a walk and thought maybe someone needed help...though it appears all is well now?"

The man stepped off the back of the truck, "Yes, everything is fine now."

The Houndoom stopped its growling but continued to watch Eric. The strange man walked around to the front of the truck and opened the door. He went to step into the vehicle when Eric noticed a large amount of pokeballs and eggs stacked neatly in containers in the back.

"Are you a pokemon dealer of sorts?" Eric asked, feigning intrigue.

The man stopped and grinned. He closed the door and jumped back into the bed of the truck.

"Why, yes I am!" He said with a snicker, "I collect and sell many of the most rare pokemon in the world!"

Eric started to have a weird feeling in his gut. He didn't let it show.

"I have some money and may be interested in buying." He said, pointing at the back of the truck, "What all kinds of pokemon do you have?"

The stranger started pointing around at the different pokeballs, "Well, if you name the pokemon I pretty much have it!" he let out a loud laugh, "Or if you're interested in hatching one yourself, I even have many eggs to choose from."

He gestured at the containers holding a bunch of eggs.

"The eggs, what do you have?" Eric asked, taking a step closer.

The man reached over and picked one up, "Well, this one is a Minccino. Cute and cuddly type you know?"

He placed that one back and grabbed another, "I also have this Foongus if you're into the grass/poison types."

The stranger then put it back and grabbed another, "This one is a rare one, not from this region. It's a Ralts."

Eric's eyes widened. He felt what was like a knife in his gut. The bad feelings he had were even worse.

The stranger raised one eyebrow, "Oh? You look like you may be interested in this one."

He chuckled and jumped off the truck with the Ralts egg. He placed it down on the tailgate and turned back to Eric.

"Well I'm sure I could let it go for a fair amount of money. What do you think you'd be willing to pay?" He asked the soldier.

Eric pondered it for a moment. He didn't have much money, but the bad feelings he was having had gotten the better of him. He had to ask.

"So where did you get all these pokemon?" Eric asked. The question seemed off putting to the man.

"What do you mean? I travel the lands and collect them myself. Easy enough." He replied, leaning on the tailgate of the truck.

Eric nodded, then asked, "Okay, so what about all those pokemons' parents? You got them as eggs and you don't look like a licensed breeder..."

The stranger stiffened up. His houndoom let out a low growl.

"You're a smart one aren't you?" The man said, "You're right, I'm not a licensed breeder. But everyone has to make a living right?"

Eric could feel anger boiling up in his gut, "What about the parents of those pokemon? What did you do to them to get those eggs?"

The man laughed and crossed his arms. He had a cruel look in his eyes as he said, "Well...sometimes you have to crack a few eggs you know?"

Eric couldn't hide his sneer at the man.

"You _kill_ the parents? You're a poacher!" He yelled, "You sick son-of-a-bitch!"

The poacher reached under his shirt and drew a pistol, leveling it at Eric. The soldier froze up. He couldn't reach for his revolver lest he wanted to get shot. The poacher started laughing.

"Well, it looks like you figured that one out. Too bad I have can't let you walk away now." He clicked the pistol's safety off, "And to think I could have made a sale today."

The poacher went to pull the trigger, but the sounds of metal stressing were heard from the gun. The firearm flexed and bent over itself, being destroyed. The poacher dropped the weapon, not knowing what had happened. It looked in terror at the human in front of him. Eric had a grin on his face. The poacher suddenly glowed in an aura and was lifted from the ground. He couldn't move and it felt like he was being crushed by an invisible hand. A Gardevoir appeared from thin air next to the man who stood in front of him, her eyes glowing. He went to scream, but couldn't even find himself able to breathe.

" **Are you okay my love?** " Celest asked Eric.

He responded, "I'm fine. Let's take care of his Houndoom and then we'll take this poacher into town to be arrested."

The Houndoom was growling and foaming from the mouth in anger at its master being attacked by a pokemon.

 _I'll tear your throat out Gardevoir!_ The Houndoom screamed as it lunged at the psychic girl. Before it could land its attack, the Gardevoir placed her hand on her master's shoulder and the two teleported a short distance away.

The dark pokemon landed where she stood only a moment before. It turned and glared at the embrace pokemon with hatred. Then a multicolored light blasted from the treeline. It slammed into the Houndoom and sent it flying into a tree. Eric and Celest were shocked, and turned to see where the attack came from.

The Houndoom recovered and turned to face its new attacker. Then another multicolored ball came from the trees at a different place and smashed into the dark pokemon. It was slammed into the truck and landed on the ground in a heap, knocked out.

Eric and Celest looked around, then saw three figures emerging from the forest. It was the Champion, with her and Eric's Garchomps on either side of her. Cynthia had a grin on her face as the two dragons roared together in victory.

"Are you two alright?" Cynthia asked.

"We're good." Eric replied. Celest nodded as well with a smile.

"Good." The Champion said with a giggle. She then turned to the poacher, who was still being held by Celest's power, "And you...poachers like you sicken me...Police are on the way to take care of you."

Eric found some rope and duct tape, and soon the poacher was bound up to where he couldn't move or run away. Celest let herself relax, floating over to hug Cynthia.

" **Thank you for helping us.** " She said.

The Champion returned the hug with a smile, "No problem Celest."

Eric was happy to see Cynthia, but then got confused. He raised an eyebrow, saying, "Thanks for the aid...but how did you find us?"

Cynthia laughed to herself, then pointed at Eric's Garchomp, "Your pokemon there used his senses. It must have been all that military training right?"

The Champion laughed again and winked at Eric, who chuckled as well. His Garchomp approached him. Eric patted him on the head.

"Thanks buddy. I know I can always count on you." Eric said with a smile.

Cynthia's Garchomp walked over and nuzzled her snout against Celest, saying, _I'm glad you're okay Gardevoir._

 _Thank you as well for helping._ Celest responded.

After a short time, blue and red lights could be seen in the distance. Then, police cars were seen approaching the group. They came to a stop, and Officer Jenny stepped out of the lead vehicle.

"Is everyone alright?" She yelled. The group nodded in unison. Officer Jenny then went over to the poacher as two other officers lifted him up, "You! You're going away for a long time! We don't take a liking to poachers!"

The poacher was then shoved into a police car as Eric approached Officer Jenny.

"Officer, may I ask something?" He asked.

"Sure what is it?" Jenny responded with a smile.

"What's going to happen to the pokemon he caught?" The soldier asked.

Officer Jenny looked at the truck for a moment, then back at Eric, "They'll be taken to a pokemon center for now, then they'll be adopted out the correct away or released back into their natural habitats."

Eric nodded, then looked over at Celest. She was at the tailgate of the truck. Her hand was rested on top of the Ralts egg. She had a single tear running down her cheek as Eric knew it reminded her of herself. It had no parents, and no real family to be there for it when it hatched.

Officer Jenny took notice, and smiled.

"Well you know...since you helped bring this criminal to justice...I could let a single egg 'go missing'." She said with a grin, using air quotes around the last two words.

Eric smiled, then turned back to Celest, "What do you think? You want to adopt that one?"

Celest's eyes gleamed and her face lit up, " **Oh my! Yes!** "

She lifted the Ralts egg into her arms and gingerly hugged it. She then floated over by Eric, looking happier than ever. Officer Jenny laughed.

"Well it looks like you made your pokemon happy," she said, "I'm sure your Gardevoir will be excited to have a little brother or sister."

Eric and Celest nervously laughed along with Jenny. **Sure yeah...little sibling...** Celest thought to herself. The couple almost forgot that the police are the last people they want finding out about their relationship. They had to play the ruse for now.

"Well then, you all have a safe night." Officer Jenny said before turning to get in her car. The police moved on with the poacher's truck following on a tow truck.

Eric and Celest stood there for a moment, looking at the egg in Celest's arms. She smiled at him, who smiled back. He leaned in and kissed her.

"Happy?" he asked. She nodded.

The Champion and the two garchomps waited patiently for the couple to break form their little spell. The group then turned to walk back to Cynthia's villa. On the way there, Eric looked at Celest as she cuddled the egg.

"So what do you think we should name it?" He asked, "We should come up a boy name, and a girl name just in case."

Celest didn't avert her eyes from the egg. She gently rubbed its hard surface with her hand.

 **"She's a girl. I can feel her mind inside the egg. She's very close to hatching. Maybe a few more days."** Celest said.

Eric thought for a moment, then he smiled with his idea.

"How about Harmony?" he asked.

Celest's face beamed with that name. She looked over at Eric and smiled really big. Her eyes glimmered with joy.

" **Yes, I love it.** " She said, reaching over and holding Eric's hand while still holding the egg in her other arm.

The group continued to walk. They were getting closer to the villa as it began to get dark out.

 **Harmony...it's perfect.** Celest thought to herself as she felt happier than ever.

* * *

 **And that is it for chapter 13! A new family member appears! Harmony will join us from here on out! I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all next week! Peace!**


	14. Sins of a Father

**Hey everyone! I'll get the usual disclaimers out of the way and we'll get into it! I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or any part of it. Pokemon belong to its respective owners. On to the chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Sins of a Father**

 **Several days after the events of Poacher:**

It was a rainy day. A large storm front had come in from the west and covered a large portion of Unova as it moved through. Local news stations warned people to stay indoors as the massive storm crossed over the land. The temperature outside dropped, causing a chilly draft to wisp around. Cynthia invited Eric and Celest into her main TV room to watch television and enjoy the warmth of the fireplace as large raindrops pounded the windows outside.

The Champion sat cross-legged in her large leather recliner. She held a mug of coffee in her hands as she stared at the TV. Eric lounged on the loveseat nearby, half-asleep. Rain always seemed to make Eric sleepy. He used to enjoy listening to rain hit the roof of the porch at his old house when he was a child. His girlfriend sat on the floor in front of the loveseat. In her lap rested a small Ralts; their adoptive daughter, Harmony. She had hatched only two days prior, just as Celest had predicted. She was a shiny Ralts. Her teal-blue hair complemented her amber-colored eyes.

Harmony laid in her mother's lap and watched the fire lick at the walls of the fireplace. Her eyes fluttered and tried their best to stay open, but she was moments from falling asleep. Celest and Eric had been excited to meet her in person. Luckily for them, the couple were the first two living beings she ever saw; and thought they were her parents as a result. Harmony referred to Celest as her 'mommy', and Eric respectively as her 'daddy'; fitting for her young age. She was too young to understand that they were not her real parents, but the mates decided to keep that to themselves until she was older. The new family spent the last two days together, and already they felt a strong, loving bond with their daughter.

Celest looked down at Harmony, who was still struggling to stay awake. The Gardevoir smiled at the cute sight in her lap. She wished her own mother was still here to see her. She had hoped her parents were proud of who she had become.

Silence settled in the room. Only the low sounds from the TV were heard. Everyone in the room was content. Then a ringing phone pierced the silence, startling most everyone. Harmony begin stirring, disturbed from sleep that had almost taken her. She begun to whine slightly as Celest shushed her and lifted her into her arms to rock her. Eric reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. It was his mother.

 **Why is she calling?** Eric wondered. He stood up from the loveseat and walked over by the windows. He answered the phone.

"Hello?" Eric said. "...Hi mom, what's wrong?"

Eric stood at the window, quiet as his mother talked to him on the other end. Cynthia glanced at Eric, then she took another sip of her coffee as she turned her attention back to the weather reports. Harmony sat up in her mother's arms. She rubbed her amber eyes and looked over at her father.

" **Daddy, what's wrong?** " She asked, feeling that something was off.

" **One moment sweetheart. Daddy is talking to his mom.** " Celest responded. She could feel something was off as well.

Eric stiffened up at the words his mother was telling him. He looked over at Celest. His shoulders then relaxed as he turned back to look out the window. Rain continued to patter against the glass panes.

"I see...I'm sorry to hear that mom." He paused to listen to her say something else, then responded, "I won't be able to make it. The storm here is supposed to last several days, making it dangerous to fly."

The muffled voice of his mom could barely be heard coming from his phone. Eric nodded, "Yes mom. I love you too. Bye."

He hung up the phone, putting it back into his pocket. He stood there for a few more moments. He then turned to the others and walked back to the loveseat and sat down. He placed his hand on Celest's shoulder and squeezed it.

" **What's wrong, love?** " Celest asked.

" **Is everything okay, Daddy?** " Harmony asked as well.

Eric sighed and stared at the TV for a few seconds. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. Celest rose off the floor and sat down next to him. Harmony stepped off her mother's lap and onto Eric's. She reached up with her small arms and lightly patted him on his cheeks.

" **Daddy, what's wrong?** " She said. Eric couldn't contain a chuckle at the adorable Ralts in front of him. He looked at her as she stared back at him with her amber eyes.

" **Eric, please tell us.** " Celest said, beginning to worry.

Eric finally looked at her. He leaned over and kissed her gingerly on the lips.

"I'll be fine...it's just...my dad passed away." He said.

Celest's eyes widened. Cynthia gasped silently at the news. The small Ralts in his lap continued to look at him.

"Oh Eric, I'm so sorry to hear that." Cynthia said.

Eric shook his head, looking over at her, "Don't worry about it...my father and I grew apart. I'm sure he was only at the hospital when I lost my leg because mom made him go...we always would rather not see each other."

Celest cocked her head to the side, " **What do you mean? I thought you loved your dad?** "

Eric shook his head, "I...well, I just...lost all respect for him after everything he had done in the past."

Everyone sat in silence for a moment. Eric knew he had to explain himself. He sighed.

"I was born and raised here in Unova. My family moved to Sinnoh shortly after I turned ten." He said.

" **I do remember you mentioning that before. Though you never said exactly why.** " Celest said, looking at her mate. Harmony went back to Celest's lap. The Gardevoir wrapped her arms lightly around her daughter.

Eric continued, "Yeah. I never said why before because my family was ashamed...We came to Sinnoh to run away from persecution. I never want to turn into what my father was. That's why as soon as I got to Sinnoh I went off on my journey to become a pokemon trainer. I wanted to be away from him as much as possible, even if he eventually said he was ashamed of himself."

"What did your father do?" Cynthia asked, "What could he have done to cause others to potentially persecute your family?"

Eric's gazed dropped to his lap. He felt heat rising to his cheeks in shame for a moment, but then he forced it to go away. He had to tell them. He trusted them.

"My father..." Eric paused for a second, "Most knew him as Werner, but that was just an alias...His real name was Barret. He was a member of Team Plasma when they were still operating here in Unova."

Cynthia was shocked. She had no idea Eric's father was part of Plasma.

"Eric, I'm sorry to hear that...I can imagine why you feel the way you do." The Champion said.

Eric nodded. Celest glanced from Eric to Cynthia, then back to Eric.

" **Who was Team Plasma?** " She asked, " **Were they like Team Galactic in Sinnoh?** "

Eric nodded again. He felt too ashamed to look at her.

"Yes...only Plasma was worse. They believed that pokemon should only belong to them and they wanted to rule all of Unova like a dictatorship; they hid it under the guise that pokemon should live separately from humans and that they were going to create a utopia out of this world."

The soldier paused for a moment, then he continued, "They stole pokemon from their owners, usually with force. Then it turned into outright terrorist attacks on major populated areas. They were the cause of the deaths of hundreds in multiple bombings and attacks on pokemon centers and reserves. My father led some of those attacks."

His voice choked up on the last sentence. He could feel a single tear of shame roll down his cheek.

 **Years ago:**

Hundreds gathered in the streets of Castelia City to watch the large line of police vehicles make their way towards the courthouse. Team Plasma was finished. It was time to bring it the justice they deserved. Dozens of law enforcement vehicles escorted a large armored prisoner transport as the onlooking civilians threw rocks at its sides and screamed profanities aimed towards the prisoners within. Inside the steel walls of the vehicle, several armed guards stood over the last major members of Plasma.

Ghetsis sat towards the front of the prisoner transport. He was bound in a straight-jacket and was forced to wear a spit-mask. It was done by the police to make him look more like a monster to the masses rather than as a protective measure. The Plasma leader sat in silence with his eyes closed. Situated under the watchful eye of the other guards were several other members of Plasma. Their top researcher, Colress, was handcuffed and seated beside his leader. Aldith was bound up and sitting next to the blue-eyed grunt, Barret.

Barret stared directly ahead to the other side of the prisoner transport. He refused to glance over at the others he called his comrades. His cold eyes looked forward and out the windows at the mass of people throwing rocks and other objects at the vehicle he was in. He ignored their screams and profanities. He could only think about several things. The first being his anger that they failed to fulfill their goal of controlling the legendary pokemon, Reshiram. The next was his annoyance towards Ghetsis and Colress; and their incompetence, which was the reason of their failure at the hands of mere children. The next was his hatred of the International Police and that damned Looker. The last thing was that of his family. His wife Mary and his ten-year-old son Eric were undoubtedly at home watching the events unfold on national television. He felt he had failed his family. He promised his son a beautiful utopia for them to live in, and now that dream has been shattered. He never wanted his son to learn of the horrors he had to commit to try to accomplish this goal, but now it was with no doubt going to be unveiled.

The grunt silently huffed to himself. He scanned the crowd and his eyes settled on a particular man as the vehicle passed. Standing at the front of the group of civilians was the man who was simply known as N. Barret could feel his lips curl into a sneer at the sight. He gritted his teeth. He hated him. N was nothing but a traitor. He led a splinter group, also known as Team Plasma, that broke off the main group some time ago and worked to undo everything that the real Plasma worked so hard for. They did it all in the name of "righting the wrongdoings of their old ways". N stood and stared at the transport as it passed. He had a smug grin knowing, in that time, that he had won. That smile sent knives of rage, and regret, through Barret's heart.

The grunt rested his head back against the window and then stared at the guard standing over him. Aldith next to him was quietly counting down the seconds to when her plan was to be set in motion.

"The hell you looking at?" The guard said with a sneer, "Eyes forward, you waste of oxygen."

Barret didn't change his facial expression. He just continued to stare at the guard.

"I said, what the hell are you looking at?" The guard said again with a more angered tone.

Aldith let out a small chuckle, then replied as the transport crossed through a four-way intersection.

"He's looking at a dead man."

The guard growled and rose his rifle over his head, about to swing the butt-stock at Aldith in retaliation for her words. Before he could swing though, a horn blaring could be heard, followed by a huge impact against the side of the transport. A large van had slammed into the cab of the transport, rolling it onto its side. Civilians screamed and ran from the crash as tear gas was scattered in every direction and gunfire filled the air. Numerous Team Plasma grunts, decked out in their gray-black uniforms, military-grade body armor and gas masks appeared from several nearby buildings. They fired at the police cars and deployed several pokemon as the law enforcement was thrown into disarray. Several of the grunts rushed towards the transport and ordered a Magmar to melt through its doors.

Once inside, the grunts grabbed each of their imprisoned members and pulled them out of the toppled vehicle. They then went back and yanked out the dazed and injured guards, then executed them on the spot in the streets. A Plasma medic looked over each of the prisoners as they were released from their binds. Barret rubbed his wrists where the cuffs cut into them. Aldith was already up and moving; giving commands to the other grunts as they coordinated their attacks against the police. Barret could barely stand. His head pounded as he tried to pull himself together. This plans of Aldith's was a near suicide plan. He didn't see it working, he only saw them all dying in vain. He was certain Plasma was done for. He knew he had to get out of there, but not until he knew for a fact that Plasma would die today, lest he wanted Ghetsis hunting him later on. The blue-eyed grunt quickly ran back to the wrecked transport and broke into the evidence box. Inside, he found the keepsake he wanted; a single pokeball. It was meant to be a gift for Eric. He looked at the ball for a second, then shoved it into his pocket.

The grunt moved quickly to cover and kept his head down as police returned fire. There wasn't enough police to take them on, let alone the pokemon they had deployed. Barret watched on as the two sides exchanged fire. He saw that Plasma was actually winning the fight. One of Plasma's Sevipers had tightly wrapped around a police Arcanine and was crushing it in its grasp. A short distance away, a Plasma-controlled Metagross fired a hyper beam at a group of police officers as they scrambled for cover. A small fire was lit again in his heart as he thought that maybe they had a chance of being victorious and rising to power once again...but that fire was quickly extinguished. It seemed the government of Unova had prepared for this exact uprising; they had deployed the Unova Defense Force and hid them in the back streets of the city. From every angle and every street, dozens of soldiers poured into the fight and very quickly began taking down grunts left and right. An armored personnel carrier rolled down the street as its chaingun rattled off rounds, tearing apart entire vehicles that Plasma members were hiding behind. A muk that they had deployed into combat was roaring as it was being taken down with tranquilizers and stun guns. Within minutes, the soldiers advanced on the last bit of Team Plasma that was left.

Barret watched the whole thing happen from his spot behind a car on the entire opposite side of the fighting. He could only stare as he saw Aldith bravely jump over her cover and charge towards the nearest soldiers, guns blazing. She managed to take several down before being riddled with holes. Her limp body hit the pavement as he looked on with horror. A squad surrounded Ghetsis and Colress and proceeded to throw them to the ground. It was all he needed to see and know that Plasma was indeed done for. He now had to run. Clutching the single pokeball in his hands, he turned and ran into the nearest alleyway undetected. Along the way, he snuck in through the back door of a clothing store that was abandoned in the fighting. He quickly got out of his Plasma uniform and into something he could blend into crowds in. Once he was done changing, he ran back out the back of the store and quickly made his way to the crowds that had been ushered by police away from the chaos.

He tried to keep his calm as he approached the crowd. Several armed police were standing around them as they escorted the civilians down the street. Barret nervously looked over his shoulder from where he came. He then heard a voice yelling at him.

"Hey you!"

Barret jumped, then turned to the source. It was a police officer standing with his weapon at the ready.

"Yes you! Get the hell over here! We don't want you getting hurt, so please hurry!" The officer ordered.

Barret ran to catch up with the group, but the officer grabbed him by the shoulder as he passed by. The move made him freeze up.

"Wait one second..." The officer said. Barret tried his best to conceal his worry of being found out.

The officer looked him over for a moment, then said, "You don't look injured...that's good. Now please move along."

He pushed Barret away, who let out a sigh of relief. He followed the crowd down town towards the hospital. From there he called a cab and got a ride back to his home.

It was pouring down rain by the time he stepped out of the cab. He thanked the driver and walked up the sidewalk towards the house. As he reached the front porch, the door swung open and his wife Mary ran through the doorway towards him. She grabbed him in a tight hug as she sobbed into his shoulder. Once she collected herself, she pulled away from the hug and smacked him. It stung bad, but he knew he deserved it.

"You're done with all that shit!" Mary screamed at him, "We almost lost you again!"

Barret grabbed Mary by her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss. She resisted for a moment, but then melted into his arms. Their lips parted and they looked into each other's eyes.

"I am done with Plasma..." Barret said, "I'm staying home with you and Eric from now on."

She stared into his blue eyes for another second, then nodded. Her husband wiped away her tears as she spoke again.

"...You might want to go talk to your son. He found out the truth about what you've done, and he isn't happy with you."

Barret nodded, then walked past her and into the house. He noticed that the living room TV was on and set to the news. On the screen it showed the smoke and fires of the fight in the streets. Rubble was scattered about in the road and bullet holes riddled every car. The shops lining the street all had their windows shot out. It was replaying the footage from when the Unova Defense Force was moving in. The news didn't censor a thing. He could see blood splattering from bodies as bullets viciously ripped through flesh and the dead laying in the road. He closed his eyes and fought back a tear as he moved past the television. He walked down the hallway and to Eric's bedroom door.

He knocked on it, with no response. He knocked again...nothing.

"Eric?" he said.

"Go away..." Barret could hear from the other side of the door.

Barret sighed, and tried to open the door but found it to be locked. He retrieved a metal clothes hanger from the laundry room nearby and bent the hook straight. He then poked the metal wire into the small hole at the front of the doorknob and turned it. A click was heard as it unlocked. The grunt then pushed the door open and walked into the dark room.

"Eric, please talk to me.." Barret said quietly. A pillow flew from out of the darkness and hit him.

"I said go away!" Eric yelled. It sounded like he had been crying, "You murderer!"

Those last two words felt like knives. Barret winced at the sounds. He stood in the doorway, he had to talk to his son. Finally after a few moments, a ten-year-old Eric stepped out of the dark and into the light shining in from the hallway. His face had wet streaks of tears running down it.

"Why did you do all that?" Eric said with his voice trembling. "Why did you hurt all those innocent people and pokemon?"

Barret squatted down and reached his arms out, but Eric took a few steps back. The father lowered his arms and his gaze dropped to the floor.

"Son...I can explain everything." He said.

"No!" Eric screamed, "You don't need to explain anything! I saw it all on the news!"

The son kicked his bed and violently punch one of his pillows. He started crying again as he looked at his dad and continued.

"Now I know why you wouldn't let me watch the news before! You've been lying to me! I thought you were helping to create a better world...but instead you were only hurting innocent people!"

Barret knew his son was right. He had been hiding it all from him, but hid it from his son because he had to hide it from himself. It was only now that he was realizing the true weight of the horrors he had committed. He genuinely thought Plasma was creating a utopia, but it took until now to realize he was wrong.

"Eric...I'm sorry." It was all Barret could say in response.

Barret closed his eyes and felt a lump in his throat. He then heard a noise behind him. Mary stood in the doorway.

"Barret...they know you're still alive. Your name is all over the news." She said, "They didn't find your body at the scene, so they know you're running."

Eric shook his head. The boy couldn't believe this was happening to him.

"My life is ruined because of you." Eric said, "I can't go back to school because of all this."

His father looked up at him, "Eric...I promise I'll make things right. I promise you I will."

Eric simply shook his head as tears pooled in his young blue eyes. He clenched his fists as he responded.

"No dad, you won't...I hate you."

The words shattered Barret's heart. His skin color drained hearing the words he never hoped to hear from his son. He felt empty inside. The father then stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Mary alone with Eric. She watched her husband leave the room, then turned back to Eric with tears in her eyes.

"Eric, you don't mean that..." She quietly said.

Eric shook his head again, "No mom...I do mean it...dad is a monster."

The young boy then turned away from his mom and climbed into bed. He pulled the covers tightly over his head and cried himself to sleep.

The next morning, Eric woke up and saw a luggage bag packed and sitting in the middle of his room. A fresh change of clothes were laid out at the foot of his bed. He changed out of his pajamas and into the clothes, then stepped out of his room. Walking down the hallway, he noticed a box on the kitchen table. It was packed with family pictures and other trinkets. As he looked at the box, he heard his mom behind him.

"Oh, you're awake." She said, kissing him on top of the head as she passed. She was pulling a luggage bag of her own.

"Mom, what's happening?" Eric asked.

His mom stopped in her tracks. She sighed, then turned to face her son.

"We're...moving away." She responded.

"What do you mean, 'we're moving away'?" He said. He was shocked at the news.

She was quiet for a moment, then spoke up.

"Well hun, the police are after your dad. So we're going to move to the Sinnoh Region to get away." She said.

Eric couldn't believe it, he started yelling, "Why should we move? Let them take him away, he deserves it!"

Mary shushed her son. She didn't like hearing him say things like that about his father...even if he may have deserved it.

"We have to move because even if your dad gets arrested, other people will come after me and you." She said. Eric looked at her, tears collecting in his eyes again. She continued, "We're going to move to Sinnoh with the help of a family friend and start fresh there. In Sinnoh, they don't know who we are."

Eric stood there. He then nodded, then turned to gather his things. **Maybe it's for the better.** He thought. **People here will hate us, maybe there we can be good people.**

 **A few days later:**

The family had smuggled themselves into Sinnoh and was situated in their new home. The house was an older one, but it was nice. They now lived in a small village known as Celestic Town in north-central Sinnoh. Barret was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at his new identification card. It had his new name, a fake one he managed to get in the system, Werner Hahn. **This is going to take some getting used to.** He thought to himself. After a few quiet moments, Eric walked past the kitchen. He had a backpack thrown over his shoulder. Mary met him at the front door and hugged him.

"Be careful Eric, ok?" She said with a small smile, "And please keep in touch with us."

Eric nodded, "I will mom."

Barret, now Werner, called out from the table.

"Where are you headed off to son?"

Eric didn't respond. The two hadn't talked since that last night at the old house. Werner sat there for a moment, then he closed his mouth and slowly turned away while trying to fight back a tear.

"Our son is off to start his journey as a trainer. He is going to head Sandgem Town to meet with the Professor and get his starter pokemon and pokedex." Mary said.

Werner nodded, then stood up. He walked over to the coffee table in the living room. He retrieved a small wooden box from the table and approached his son. Eric refused to look at him.

"If you're going to leave on your journey, then let me give you one last gift." He said. Eric glanced at the wooden box out of the corner of his eye.

His father opened its lid, and revealed a pokeball sitting within it. Werner grabbed the ball and held it out to Eric. His son's eyes moved between the ball and the floor.

"I captured this pokemon here in Sinnoh the last time we vacationed here. Remember?" Werner said.

Eric did remember. The vacation was among the best times of his life. He also remembered that his dad caught a pokemon, but Werner had refused to tell him what it was. His dad would only tell him that he'd give it to him when the time was right.

"I want you to have it. You're ready." Werner said. Eric hesitated, then reached out and grabbed the ball.

"What is it?" Eric quietly asked. He glared at the pokeball as it rested in his hand.

"Why don't you let it out and meet it for yourself?" Werner asked, feeling a small smile spread across his face.

Eric looked at his dad for a second, then he stepped out into the yard. The young boy then tossed the pokeball. It opened up, shooting out a beam of light. The blob of light began to take shape as the pokemon within it was let out. It was a small pokemon, less than a meter tall. It was gray-blue in color and had a large fin protruding from its head like a shark fin. It had short arms and legs, with a red underbelly and a large mouth lined with sharp teeth. The pokemon let out a small roar as Eric looked at it with a grin.

"He is what you would call a Gible. It's a dragon/ground dual type. Raise him well, and he'll eventually evolve into a Garchomp. They are very powerful pokemon." Werner said, feeling his heart warm up at his son's grin.

Eric finally turned and looked at him, then said, "Thanks dad."

"No problem son." He replied.

Eric and the Gible then began to walk away from their home. Werner and Mary watched on as their son left to begin his journey. Werner still knew that it wasn't enough to heal the rift between him and Eric, but it was possibly a start.

As Eric walked away, he refused to look back. He was thankful for his dad giving him his first pokemon, but he knew he could never forgive him for all the sins he committed against innocent people. He knew he still had no respect for his dad anymore, but he knew that he didn't hate him either. He couldn't bring himself to hate anything. The boy fought back the urge to cry, then heard a snort-like noise beside him. Eric looked down at the small dragon walking alongside him. The Gible was looking up at him and seemed to smile. Eric smiled back as the two continued their walk to Sandgem Town.

 **Present day:**

Eric's Garchomp was now standing in the room with everyone else. The soldier had released him from the ball his dad had given him sometime into telling the story of how he came to Sinnoh. The Garchomp was nuzzling his snout into Eric's neck as he patted the large dragon on the head.

"Garchomp was the best thing my dad has ever given me." Eric quietly said as he ran his hands down the sides of Garchomp's neck, petting him, "It was really the only good thing I've ever got from him."

Everyone was quiet as Eric finished. The soldier's head hung low as he sighed. He walked away from the dragon and went over to the windows. He placed a hand on the glass pane and stared out at the rain.

"I became a trainer to get away from him. I was afraid I'd turn into the monster he was...It was also part of the reason why I enlisted in the Defense Force...Hell, Team Plasma's attacks on innocent people were part of the reason the Defense Force was reformed in the first place." Eric said, "I thought if I joined up and helped to defend innocent people and pokemon alike, that maybe I could help redeem my family's honor...though sometimes I fear I can feel my father's demon lurking within me. I want to be better than him."

Garchomp let out a sound as if he was trying to say something. Celest nodded and spoke up.

" **Garchomp is right. You're not your father.** " She said.

"You're an amazing person, Eric." Cynthia added, "Rarely do I ever see someone as kind or caring as you."

Garchomp walked over to Eric and poked him in the back with his nose. He let out another series of noises.

"What is he saying?" Eric asked Celest. He was still gazing out the window.

" **He said he's been with you since the beginning. That he couldn't ask for a better trainer and that you treated him right this entire time.** " Celest said as Garchomp made another few guttural noises as he continued to talk, " **He said he's proud to be at your side and that he's prepared to be there all the way for you.** "

Eric smiled, then turned and hugged the dragon. The Garchomp wrapped his arms around Eric to return the hug.

"Thank you Garchomp...I'm glad you're here for me." The soldier said.

From across the room on a small table sat Eric's trainer belt. The other two pokeballs on the belt popped open and Eric's Raichu and Arcanine were released as well into the large sitting room. The mouse pokemon dashed over and jumped up onto Eric, embracing him. Arcanine moved to him as well, rubbing his head against Eric's side. Celest and Harmony both then floated over and joined in the hug. All of them had tears flowing.

" **I love you daddy.** " Harmony said.

" **We all love you Eric.** " Celest said with an angelic voice in his head, " **You're such an amazing person. We all will be by your side forever.** "

The Champion watched the warm moment unfolding in front of her. She had a large smile on her face. Several seconds passed, then she spoke up.

"I don't mean to ruin the moment...but how about we get dinner started?" Cynthia stated with a wink and a grin, "We can even make extra for both of our Garchomps and your other pokemon."

The soldier and his pokemon parted from the group hug. Eric looked at her with a smile and wiped away his tears.

"Sure thing, food sounds awesome right now."

* * *

 **And that's it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and liked the bit of backstory into Eric's past. A Soldier and His Gardevoir does take place in a different sort of timeline, that is why Team Plasma has been defeated years prior to Galactic really appearing. I know it's not the canon timeline, but obviously this isn't a canon story. I hope you all like it regardless. Anyways, have an awesome weekend and I'll see you all next week in chapter 15! Peace!**


	15. The Truth Comes Out

**Hey everyone, it's time again! As for the next two chapters of the story; they started as one chapter, but it ended up being about ten thousand words when I was done typing. I don't want to make chapters too long, so I made the decision to split The Truth Comes Out into two parts. I promise it's worth it! Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own anything that has to do with Pokemon. Pokemon belongs only to its respective owners. With all that out of the way, we can get on to part one of The Truth Comes Out! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: The Truth Comes Out (Part One)**

 **A few days after Sins of a Father:**

The sun shone brightly in the blue sky. The heat being reflected from the pavement was countered by the cool breeze in the air. Eric, Celest and Harmony were ready to head back to Sinnoh. They stood with Cynthia on her private runway just outside the villa, waiting on her plane to come around. The family was busy saying their farewells to the Champion as Eric and Cynthia's Garchomps were with each other a short distance away.

Eric threw his backpack over his shoulder. Cynthia gave him another hug, then turned to give Celest and Harmony one as well.

" **I'll miss you Aunt Cynthia.** " Harmony said with a smile.

Cynthia smiled back at the ralts, "We'll see each other again, I promise!"

Harmony nodded happily as Celest giggle to herself.

 **"Thank you so much for letting us stay with you!"** Celest exclaimed, **"We had a wonderful time!"**

The Champion shook her head, "The pleasure was mine! I hope you all come back to stay again sometime!"

Eric nodded, "We may just have to take you up on that offer!"

They all shared a laugh as they saw Cynthia's private jet rolling into view from its hanger. Eric shifted the weight of the backpack on his shoulder.

"Well, there's your ride." Cynthia said. She turned to the two Garchomps. The two were nuzzling each other lovingly.

Eric laughed at the sight. "I don't think he wants to leave."

Cynthia laughed as well. Eric walked over to his pokemon and patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on buddy, you'll see her again sometime." The soldier told the Garchomp.

Garchomp looked at Eric for a second, then back to his mate. He let out a slight whimper as the female dragon leaned in and lightly kissed him on the side of the head. He then let out a happy roar and turned back to Eric. The soldier laughed, then called Garchomp back into his pokeball. With that, he placed the ball onto his belt.

The plane parked a short distance away from the group. Eric, Celest and Harmony boarded the place and waved goodbye to Cynthia as the Champion waved back. Once on the plane, it sped down the runway and took off into the sky. Cynthia watched the plane leave, then turned and walked back to her villa with her Garchomp right beside her.

 **Later:**

Eric's blood was boiling as he pulled his car into the driveway of his home. They could see it as they drove down the road. Celest felt her heart drop at the sight in front of them. Eric couldn't believe that someone could bring themselves to commit such an awful act of discrimination against them. The soldier swung the car door open and stepped out. He slammed the door closed as he stared at the graffiti spray painted across his house.

'POKEMON FUCKER'

The words stabbed at Eric's heart. Its was sprayed sloppily across the front of their home in bright red paint. Eric stared at the horrible words for another second, then slowly turned and glared across the street to his neighbor Lee's house. In the front window, Eric could see Lee staring back at him with an evil grin. The man had a cup of coffee in his hand as he rose it to take a sip. He then closed the blinds, blocking Eric's view at the horrible man.

The soldier fought to keep himself from walking across the street and kicking in Lee's door right then and there. He had to remember what Cynthia had told him about trying to ignore the hatred, but this was insanity. He figured maybe he could press charges for destruction of property, but how could he prove it was Lee? He guessed he'd figure it out later.

Eric returned to his car and retrieved his luggage out of the back. He noticed Celest wasn't in vehicle. **She must have teleported to inside the house with Harmony.** Eric thought to himself. He threw his backpack over his shoulder and walked through his front door. Inside, he found Celest lying on the living room couch. She had her knees pulled up and she was facing away from Eric. Harmony was standing nearby with a worried look on her face.

" **Daddy, why is mommy sad?** " She asked, looking over at the gardevoir curled up.

Eric sighed. "It's nothing sweetheart, now please go in the other room so we can talk alone."

Harmony's gaze dropped to the floor as she slowly floated out of the room. She then stopped at the doorway, and turned to look back at Eric.

" **What does 'pokemon fucker' mean?** " She asked, " **It is bad?** "

Eric had to keep himself from raising his voice. He couldn't be mad at her for asking. He calmed himself, then responded.

"Yes it's bad, and I don't want to hear you ever saying that second word again, okay?" He said.

Harmony solemnly nodded. " **Yes, daddy.** " She then floated out of the room.

Once the shiny Ralts was out of the room, Eric went over to Celest. He knelt down on the floor and kissed her head. He ran his fingers through her hair. She was shaking slightly and he could hear her silently sobbing.

"Celest, it'll be alright." Eric said softly. "We'll be moving out of this house really soon. We won't have to deal with the asshole across the street anymore after that."

Celest shook her head. " **No, Eric. I'm so scared I'll lose you. People know about us.** "

"Who cares if they know? Screw what they think." Eric said. His love turned over to face him. Her red eyes had tears running.

" **Eric, it's not that. I'm terrified you'll be taken from us, or that we'll be taken from you...what if police are notified?** " She asked. Fear made her words tremble in Eric's mind.

He sat there for a moment. His eyes glanced to the floor, then back up at his girlfriend. He wiped some of her tears away.

"They won't split us up. I promise you that." He said, giving a slight smile.

Celest mentally reached into his mind and heart. She could sense he meant the best, but that he wasn't too sure himself. She smiled back at him. She knew he was trying, and she was thankful for it. She decided to push her bad thoughts away. She sat up and pulled Eric up off the floor with her powers, then yanked him into a hug. Eric had the air knocked out of him with the sudden and tight hug, but he grinned and rubbed her back.

"I love you, Celest." He said.

" **I love you too, Eric.** " She replied.

The two mates enjoyed their moment, then felt a small pokemon latch onto them. They both turned to see Harmony joining their embrace. The Ralts looked up at her parents and smiled. Eric and Celest laughed at the cute sight, then pulled her into the hug. The family felt a little bit better in that moment.

"We're a family now, and nothing will tear us apart." Eric said, kissing Celest and Harmony on top of their heads.

The group parted from their hug, then Celest proceed to go into the kitchen to get their dinner ready. She was feeling a little better, but she couldn't shake away the feeling that something bad was going to happen to them.

Eric rested on the couch for several moments, then heard a knock on the door. He rose up and walked over to it. He opened the door, and almost punched the man the other side out of instinct. It was Lee.

"The hell do you want?" Eric said, offering no kindness.

Lee grinned at him. "What? No 'happy to be back in town'?"

Eric squinted at him. Lee let out a laugh, then said, "Aw, a shame that someone would paint something so horrible on your house, eh?"

"Yeah, a real shame, Lee." Eric responded, "But I ask again, what do you want?"

Lee leaned in the doorway, he never lost his grin. "I just wanted to stop by and clear up any misunderstandings that you may have after what my boy said before you and your pokemon left for vacation."

"Oh yeah?" Eric asked, unamused.

"Everything my boy said...it wasn't a screw up. It's actually true." Lee started, standing straight now while slightly leaning inwards towards Eric. "I think you're a disgusting human being...I know about your little 'relationship' with that damned Gardevoir of yours, and it's wrong."

Eric rolled his eyes. "And it's your business how?"

"Because you're a freak!" Lee was yelling now. Eric didn't flinch. He didn't even give Lee the satisfaction of changing expressions. The soldier simply continued to look like a statue. The neighbor was clearly going insane. Lee let out a laugh and continued, "You know, I used to have a Gardevoir too? It's been awhile, back when I used to live in the Hoenn Region. The bitch ran away from me though."

A cold shiver ran down Eric's spine. His eyes widened at Lee's words. **He couldn't be...** He thought. In the kitchen, Celest was in the middle of getting dinner ready. She froze in her place at the words she just heard. **No...he can't be...** She thought.

"Yeah, can't you believe it? Sure, I may have treated her a bit rough, but you have to be hard on your pokemon if you want them to get strong." Lee said. An evil grin spread wider across his face. "She was weak though, she couldn't handle it. Eventually she ran away from me on Route 102...sad thing really...she had the potential to be strong. Poor Grace-"

Rage boiled up in Eric, but he didn't have time to do anything before Celest made her move. Lee was cut off mid-sentence and grabbed in a tight psychic grip almost as soon as she heard her mother's name. She came floating from the kitchen. Her eyes were burning in a bluish light as her dress blew and flapped around her in a display of power.

" **You were my mother's trainer?! You sick bastard!** " She screamed at him. She began to crush him in her grip as he gritted his teeth in pain.

"Celest, let him go." Eric said. "Killing him won't avenge your mother. It will only hurt us. He wants you to hurt him."

Celest glanced at her love, then shoved Lee across the yard. He tumbled end over end and landed awkwardly on his back. He gasped for air and started laughing as he stood up.

"Grace was your mother?" Lee laughed, "No wonder you seem as weak as she was."

Celest wanted to hurt the man, but she allowed herself to slightly calm down. Eric crossed half way across his yard. His fists were clenched.

"Leave my property. NOW!" The soldier demanded.

Lee took a step back. He put his hands up in front of him.

"Alright fine, fine." He turned around and started to walk away. As he went back to his house, he yelled. "I hope you have a good night!"

The mates watched him go back inside his house, then they returned to their own. Inside, Eric went to sit at the kitchen table as Celest finished up the food. They didn't talk much for the rest of the night.

 **The next morning:**

Eric was helping Celest to clean up the kitchen after they ate their breakfast. He was finishing up the dishes as his gardevoir wiped the stove down. Harmony was in the next room dancing to some music playing from their television. Celest paused to watch her daughter enjoy herself. She giggled as Harmony almost tripped, but recovered and continued dancing like nothing happened. She then heard the sink begin draining its water as Eric placed the last of the now-clean dishes into the drying rack. He grabbed a small towel and dried off his hands.

"I'm going to be heading outside here in a moment to clean that crap off the front of the house." He said, "We can't move out with that paint on there."

Celest stood still for a moment. She stared down at the stove, then spoke up. " **I can't believe Lee was my mother's trainer...after all this time, he was right in front of us.** "

Eric sighed, "I know. I can also only imagine how you feel about it. It might explain why he's targeting us so much, because you remind him of Grace...He'll get what's coming to him someday. Karma always gets her way."

Celest nodded as she resumed wiping the stove clean. After a few seconds, a loud knocking was heard on the front door. Everyone stood straight and stared at the door. Celest felt the bad feelings come up again as she tried to sense who was outside their home. She felt only a stern presence that was there for something bad.

" **Eric, I have a bad feeling about this...Whoever it is at the door isn't here to be friendly.** " She told him worriedly.

Eric looked at her and nodded. He slowly went to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Officer Jenny. **What could she want?** He thought. **Maybe it's about the paint?...I can hope.**

He unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hello Officer Jenny, how are you this morning?" He asked with a smile.

She didn't smile back. She looked around Eric at Celest and Harmony. She then looked back at Eric.

"Hello Mr. Hahn, everything going alright?" She asked.

Eric nodded, "Yes ma'am. Everything is dandy here. Well, except for that bit of nasty graffiti on the front of my house."

He pointed towards the paint. Officer Jenny glanced at it for a second, then back at Eric.

"Yes, that is a bit of nasty business...Do you know why I'm here?"

Eric shook his head, "No, I can't say I do."

Officer Jenny motioned for Eric to turn around. She retrieved her handcuffs from her belt.

"Well, why don't you turn around and place your hands behind your back." She ordered, "We have reason to suspect that you're in an illegal relationship with one of your pokemon."

Eric was bewildered, "Wait, what? You don't have proof of that!"

She grabbed at Eric's arms, "We have several reports that make it look like it! Now turn around or I'll also get you for resisting arrest!"

Eric did as she told. He turned around as she put him in cuffs. As he turned, he saw Celest standing at the kitchen doorway. She had her hands covering her mouth as tears glimmered in her eyes. He could sense she was about to do something as she began to glow.

 **Don't do anything stupid Celest.** He thought to her. **It will only make us look worse.**

She locked eyes with him, then slowly nodded. Her glow went away as she gave a defeated look.

" **Eric...I'm so scared.** " She said.

 **Don't be, love. We'll make it through this.** He thought in response.

Officer Jenny pulled Eric out of the house. There was several other officers waiting outside. As Eric was being escorted to a police car, the other cops went into the house. They quickly came out, pulling Celest along by the arms. She tightly held Harmony as the ralts began to cry. Another officer left the house with Eric's pokeballs stuffed into an evidence bag.

Celest wanted to fight back. She wanted to grab Eric and teleport her family as far away as possible. She knew the cops wouldn't stand a chance against her powers if she just used them, yet she didn't. She didn't want to make them look like horrible people. She also had to trust Eric. She remember that he promised to protect her no matter what.

The soldier was shoved into a police car as Celest and Harmony was shoved into the back of a police pokemon transport. Eric stared out the car's window at Lee's house. He didn't see the cruel man anywhere. Eric knew it had to have been Lee that called the police. He just knew it. He then looked over at the pokemon transport. Harmony was crying loudly as Celest tried to rock her and get her to calm down. The sight felt like a knife in his gut. He had to think fast. He had to come up with a way to save his family.

It was later that evening. The hours crawled by. Celest found herself and Harmony in a small room at a pokemon center. Above the door was a sign that read, 'Pokemon Sexual Abuse Ward'. She was sickened at the idea that the humans thought Eric was abusing her. They just didn't understand the love the two shared. She sighed as she could feel tears building up in her eyes again. She looked over at Harmony, who was lying on a nearby bed. Celest slowly floated over to her daughter.

 _Mommy? What is going to happen to us?_ The shiny ralts asked. Celest ran her hand through Harmony's hair.

 _I...don't really know sweetheart. But we must keep our hope up. Daddy promised he'll get us out of this._ She responded.

 _Why do those humans not want you and daddy together?_ Harmony asked as tears of her own gathered in her amber eyes.

Celest didn't answer that question. Harmony was too young to fully understand.

 _Try to get some sleep, okay?_ She said.

Harmony nodded, then yawned. It made Celest smile slightly.

 _I love you mommy._ Harmony said.

 _I love you too._ Celest responded, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

The Ralts rolled over and quickly fell asleep. Celest watched her for a moment, then went over by the window. She stared out the glass at the darkness that consumed the city. She let out a sigh as she placed her hand against the pane. She wondered if Eric was okay. He was surely in some sort of jail cell right now, but she worried that he'd be treated badly because of the crime he's being accused of. The fact that they believe that he is sexually abusing her...she knows it can't mean anything good for him.

She reached out to him with her mind once more. His presence was still there, but it was faint because they were apart from each other. His sense was still strong enough that, under normal circumstances, she could simply teleport to him. She would do it if she could, but the police had fitted her and Harmony with electronic collars that interrupted their powers whenever they attempted to use teleport. It was to keep them from running away. She pulled at the metallic collar. It reminded her of the armor that Team Galactic made her wear. She already hated it. After a few seconds, she gave up on trying to remove it. Her hand instead rested on her mega stone. She gently squeezed it. She prayed that they would make it through this.

Celest was still looking out the window when a nurse and Chansey walked in. They were being followed by an investigator. The Gardevoir glanced over her shoulder at the humans, but chose to try to ignore them. Nurse Joy took a step forward and looked at the paperwork on her clipboard. She then looked towards Celest.

"This is her." Nurse Joy said to the investigator. "This is the victim, a Gardevoir named 'Celestial'."

The investigator nodded. He took off his long coat and removed his hat, placing it on an unoccupied bed.

"A beautiful name. A shame it is to see such an innocent creature being treated like this by a horrible person." He said, walking towards Celest. He stopped about half way across the room.

Celest curled her lip into a small sneer at the investigator's words. **How dare he say something like that about Eric...** She thought.

The investigator looked at the paperwork in Nurse Joy's hands. He then turned back to Celest.

"It says here that you have telepathic abilities, yes?" He took a step closer. "An impressive feat, even for powerful physic types such as yourself."

Celest refused to respond. She just continued to stare out the window. She already wished that they would leave her alone. The investigator shifted on his feet, then scratched his head.

"I understand if you don't want to talk right now, but anything you can tell us can be a big help. It isn't very often that pokemon who are victims of sexual abuse are able to communicate with us like you are...Tell us anything that you think may help, and we can help you get your trainer the justice he deserves.""

Her anger was building up. She finally spoke. Her words were like venom. " **What makes you think that I am a 'victim'?** "

The investigator stopped in his tracks. "Oh? What makes you think you aren't?"

" **What makes you think that we aren't simply a couple like anyone else? What makes Eric and I any different than you and your wife, Mr. Hampton?** " Celest responded in a dark tone while invading his mind for any thoughts to use against him.

The investigator rose an eyebrow. He let out a small grin as he sat on a small table nearby.

"Impressive. Using your mind reading abilities without me even sensing you rummaging around in my thoughts. Well, I suppose now I don't have to introduce myself." Mr. Hampton said.

Celest turned. Her green hair covered one of her eyes, but both were still like daggers as they pierced through Mr. Hampton's soul.

" **You didn't answer my question.** " She said.

Mr. Hampton stared back at her silently. He then responded, "Well, you see. Humans and Pokemon were not meant to be together the way your trainer has made you believe you and him are. I imagine you believe in Arceus correct? Well according to the creation theory, Arceus never intended for humans to be with pokemon romantically. We simply are not compatible...it truly saddens me that your trainer has brainwashed you that much."

Celest felt a rush of anger flow through her. " **I am not brainwashed! I love Eric with all my heart!** "

Mr. Hampton lowered his head and shook it. He sighed to himself and waved the Chansey forward. She was carrying a small briefcase. He took it from her and opened it. Inside was a number of cotton swabs and other small medical supplies. Mr. Hampton pulled on a set of latex gloves and motioned towards a nearby bed.

"Can you please lay down? This will only take a few moments." He requested.

Celest eyeballed the briefcase. " **What is that?** " She demanded to know.

"This a rape kit." Mr. Hampton explained. "I'm going to swab DNA samples from you for evidence. So again, please lay down."

Celest's eyes widened, " **Excuse me?** "

Mr. Hampton seemed to be getting impatient. "I need to preform a vaginal swabbing to see if I can collect your trainer's DNA for use in court as evidence."

Celest's dress tightly wrapped around her as she took a defensive stance. Her eyes began to glow slightly.

" **I beg your pardon? You will do no such thing!** " She yelled in his head. " **Eric has never violated me! He's only ever protected and loved me! If you attempt to force a DNA sample from me, then it will be _you_ who is violating me!**"

Mr. Hampton laughed. He smiled at the Gardevoir standing defiantly at the window facing him. Her eyes glowed brighter and the briefcase was tossed from his lap and across the room; sending the medical supplies flinging through the air.

"I see. If you refuse to allow me to swab for evidence, then I take it that his DNA is indeed present on you? Why do you try to defend this man? He is clearly sick in the head and needs help. We can get him that help if you help us. This is the first step to being healed." He said.

The room started to shake slightly. Celest was losing her patience with the man. She wanted him to leave.

" **Fuck. You.** " She said. Her voice was in the darkest tone she could put on.

Mr. Hampton's smile disappeared. His face took a more serious look. He took another step towards Celest.

"I WILL be taking the evidence I need. You WILL allow me." He said with a serious tone.

The gardevoir's eyes glowed in an intense light. Mr. Hampton was grabbed by her power as she shoved him across the room and into the back wall hard. It knocked the air out of him as he slid down the wall and to the floor. He rubbed the knot that was forming on the back of his head from where it hit the brick wall. He had a brief look of anger, but then it softened as he smiled.

"Well then." He said. "I suppose that your refusal for a swab is all the evidence we will need to prosecute Eric. We will only be able to assume he has been indeed raping you the entire time he has had you."

He stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I will be sure that your precious trainer goes to prison for a long time."

With that, he put his jacket back on. He then placed his hat on his head, turning and walking out of the room. Nurse Joy and chansey quickly followed him. Joy stared fearfully at Celest. The Chansey had a look of sympathy in her eyes.

 _I am sorry. I hope your mate gets freed and you two reunited._ The egg pokemon said. She then left the room as well, leaving Celest alone again with Harmony.

The Ralts was beginning to stir awake, but Celest quickly floated over and laid down next to her. She ran her hand through her daughter's hair and managed to keep her from waking up. Celest then closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

 **That is the end of part one of The Truth Comes Out! With Eric under arrest, what will happen to Celest and Harmony? What about their neighbor and ex-trainer of Celest's mother? Will the family get their revenge against the malicious man? Find out next week in Part Two! I hope you guys really enjoyed it, and I hope to see you all next week! Peace!**


	16. For Family

**Alright it's time for part two of The Truth Comes out! Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. It belongs to its rightful owners. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: For Family**

 **(The Truth Comes Out Part Two)**

 **The night of Eric's arrest:**

Eric was forced into a small, dimly lit cell. The walls were barren and devoid of any decor with the exception of a small mirror. Situated along one side was a stainless steel toilet and matching sink next to it. On the opposite side was a cot. It didn't appear to be the most comfortable. Sitting by the back wall was a metal chair. Outside the cell in the hallway was a single small and old television. It was mounted to the wall and positioned so that occupants in the various cells could see it. It was also the one single luxury given to those who were only in jail for a few nights while awaiting trial.

The officer escorting him pushed Eric into the hard steel chair. He grunted in annoyance at the cop, but choose to glare down at the bare floor.

"Welcome to your home for the night. Sweet dreams." The police officer sarcastically said, turning to leave the room. Once the door was closed, a buzzer sounded to indicate that it was now locked.

Eric looked up at the television. It was on and turned to the local news station. Already the news of his arrest and accusations were being plastered all over the media. Very rarely is someone legally accused of sexual relations with a pokemon. It is even more rare when that person was considered a local 'hero'. The publicity of this scenario made Eric hate his small fame even more. He never considered himself a hero, and never will. It was just that after the incident on Iron Island, even if it wasn't broadcast on the news, rumors of his service there became something of a small legend. The other soldiers, like Burke and Johnson, who were there were thanked as well by the people; though yet, it was the idea that a single young man who dared to take on dozens of terrorists to save the life of a single pokemon that the public loved. That made him a 'hero' in the eyes of many. Now though, the news is reporting the story as if he had been sexually abusing the very same pokemon since her rescue.

The headlines sickened the soldier. They could only seem to talk about the accusations against him. Two news anchors were seated around a large oak table as cameras recorded their discussions on the matter. There were two guests with them as well.

"Eric Hahn, the man who has been revered as a hero for his actions at Iron Island, is now being accused of pokephilia." One male anchor said. Along the bottom of the screen, his named faded into view for a moment before going away. It was Thomas.

"We have been hearing the rumors from several different sources." Anchor Thomas continued. "The stories change from source to source but the version that has most commonly came up is the idea that Hahn believes to be 'in love' with his Gardevoir. Others are saying that it isn't the case and instead that he is simply sexually abusing the pokemon. What are your thoughts, Katherine?"

Eric watched with dead eyes as the female anchor chimed in. The camera panned to her as her name faded in and out on the screen in much the same manner as her co-worker's did.

"Well Tom." Anchor Katherine said, pausing for a moment, "Either way it's a disturbing story to say the least. Here we have with us is a representative of the so-called 'Equal Love' group. Can you please introduce yourself?"

Katherine gestured to the woman seated across from the reporters. She was finely dressed in a suit and her hair was neatly fixed. She quietly cleared her throat and began, "I am with a small group that supports the equal rights of humans and pokemon alike to love how they please. Now we don't even know if the rumors of Eric Hahn are true. We can certainly hope that it isn't abuse, but if he is indeed in love with his Gardevoir then I think it's wrong for anyone to get in the way of those two being together."

"So you believe that if the accusation is correct, but is not abuse, that Eric should be allowed to be with something other than a human?" Reporter Tom asked.

"Absolutely." The woman replied as she nodded, "Love is love to us. Now I don't date a pokemon personally, and there would be obvious limitations depending on the species of pokemon; but it should not be anyone's business who anyone dates as long as it's pure."

Katherine then asked her, "Now you said, 'limitations depending on the species of pokemon'. What do you mean by that?"

The representative took a quick drink of her water, then answered.

"I'm speaking of the more sentient and intelligent species. Gardevoir, in particular, are very intelligent. Prior research proves that. They are very self-aware and are known to fully understand human language far beyond than that of other pokemon. Many have even shown to communicate with humans via telepathy. With this species, there really isn't anything morally wrong with a relationship here. You've got the capability for consent and emotional fulfillment on both sides. There is no reason to say that the Gardevoir doesn't love Eric as much as he does her." She concluded.

A man dressed in normal civilian attire seating next to the woman spoke up.

"I think it's a horribly wrong and unnatural way of thinking!" He said, looking around at the reporters and receiving a dirty look from the woman representing Equal Love. "Humans and pokemon are not meant to be together; plain and simple! Pokemon are meant to be pets or tools, nothing more."

He slammed his fist on the table for effect. "Regardless of if it's consensual or not, Eric Hahn should be in a mental ward or locked away in prison. It's sickening!"

The reporter Tom nodded, then turned to face the camera.

"Interesting words from our guests. Tomorrow begins the court case for the soldier and local hero, Eric Hahn, as he will begin battling to defend..."

Eric closed his eyes and decided not to bother with listening to the TV anymore. He had to think of how he was going to get himself and his family out of this. He had to find a way. He laid down on his cot and reached down to detach his prosthetic. He tossed it to the floor and decided to go to sleep for the night. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

 **The next day:**

Eric awoke in his jail cell. He looked around at the small concrete room. It was still the same boring box he fell asleep in the night before. He got up off the hard cot and attached his prosthetic leg. He then popped his back and did a few stretches as he heard his cell door unlock. It swung open and two guards walked in.

"Hahn, it's time." One of them said.

He didn't respond. He only nodded as he stood up and held his hands out. One of the guards approached him and placed him in cuffs. They then escorted him out of the cell and down the hall. As they walked, one of the guards spoke.

"It's sad, you know that Hahn? A lot of people considered you a hero. Law is the law though."

Eric scoffed, "Yeah? Well it's stupid. What business is it of anyone's but mine who I love?"

He gave the guard a dirty look. The guard didn't look back at him as he responded, "It is what it is."

Eric shook his head and didn't say any more. They continued their walk in silence. After making their way down several hallways, through multiple security checkpoints, and through several more corridors, they made it to the front room of the jail. Officer Jenny waited at the front door for them. Once there, she ordered several police officers that were with her to take Eric from the guards. They then swung the front doors open and walked out into the sunlight.

The courthouse was only a few blocks away, and Eric was in no position to try to run, so they simply walked him to court. The streets already had a good sized crowd gathered along the sidewalks to watch him being pulled along. A police line had been set up to keep the masses from getting too close. The crowd went into an uproar seeing Eric being yanked out of the jailhouse. Many of them were yelling everything from words of support to expressions of disgust.

"We support you soldier!" Some yelled.

"Lock the sicko up!" Others screamed.

A portion of the crowd held up hand-made signs. Many of them said things like 'Love is Love!' and 'Let Eric Go!'. It warmed his heart to see there were people who supported him, but he was also surprised as to how fast the news had spread. They continued to walk down the street as more words were being thrown out by the crowd.

"You deserve to rot you disgusting freak!" One person screamed.

"We love you Eric! Stay strong for your mate!" Another called out.

There were several pokemon present in the crowd alongside the humans. A few of them gave looks of sympathy towards him, but there were others who had looks of disgust. Eric finally just dropped his gaze to the pavement and allowed himself to be dragged along. After several agonizing minutes, they made it to the courthouse. As they approached the front steps, a group of reporters blocked the way. A dozen cameras were pointed at Eric as many more reporters shoved microphones towards the soldier's face.

"Is it true that you think you're in love with your gardevoir?" One yelled over the roar of the crowd.

"What about the rumors that you only rescued her from Team Galactic in exchange for sexual favors?" Another asked.

Eric gave a twisted look at the second reporter. "How about you go fuck yourself with your stupid questions? No that isn't true!" He yelled.

Several more questions were being spat at him as he ignore them and looked over to the side. He saw the pokemon transport parked by the courthouse, with Celest and Harmony standing outside of it with several police surrounding them. The two pokemon had electronic collars around their necks to prevent them from using teleport to get away.

" **Eric!** " Celest yelled in his head. She reached out for him with one arm as she held Harmony with the other. The gardevoir started floating over towards her love, but several cops blocked her path and ordered her to step back. Tears ran down her face as she knew she couldn't just go over to him without hurting their cause. Multiple people in the crowd noticed this and booed the police.

"Let her over to him!" They started screaming as they waved their signs in the air.

"She's delusional!" Others yelled.

Flashes of cameras blinded Eric as the reporters took pictures of him. The thought of trying to break the cameras crossed his mind, but he pushed the thought to the side. Officer Jenny then lightly pushed Eric forward.

"Come on, keep moving Hahn!" She ordered.

Eric started walking again. He couldn't break his eyes off of Celest. Her beautiful eyes glimmered. The ruby irides shook slightly with emotions. Then, he felt a cruel presence staring at him. He broke his gaze from his mate, and turned to see Lee standing in the crowd. His neighbor had a wicked grin on his face, happy with himself that he was ruining their lives. That smile sent Eric's blood into a boil.

"You!" Eric screamed. "You did this to us!"

Lee didn't lose his grin, he simply shrugged and yelled back, "I'm not the one who's a pokemon fucker."

Those words nearly sent Eric into a rage. How dare he try to split him from the two he loved? Suddenly, something clicked in his head. On Lee's belt, there were several pokeballs. The soldier just had an idea. Something that could buy them some time.

"Lee!" He yelled over the roaring crowd, "I officially challenge you to a pokemon battle! Right now!"

The crowd went silent at the challenge. Lee raised an eyebrow and the two officers pulling Eric along paused. Officer Jenny ordered them to go, but they didn't move.

"Officer Jenny," Eric started, "You know that when someone is challenged to a battle that nothing may interrupt it unless it is denied or the battle is over."

One of the Officers looked at Jenny, "He is right ma'am. It is League rules. The last thing we need is a visit from the Champion for disrespecting the League."

Officer Jenny looked around for a few moments. People in the crowd started to chant in a huge uproar.

"Let them battle! Let them battle!" They chanted, rattling the metal gates of the police line. Even those who didn't support Eric were joining in the chant. They wanted to see a pokemon battle.

Jenny sighed, then shook nodded her head. "Fine...we have to let you battle, if Lee accepts."

Everyone turned to Lee, including the news reporters. They all looked on to see what'd he say. The neighbor grinned a little bigger, glancing over at Celest. He then looked back at Eric.

"I accept your challenge." He said with a malicious tone. Officer Jenny sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It will be one pokemon only, no substitutions...and you can't use your Gardevoir or Ralts." Jenny stated, look over at Eric for the last part of the rules.

Eric smiled and nodded, "That's fine with me. I don't need them to kick Lee's ass."

Jenny sighed, "And remember...no funny business. We will beat you down if you try to attack Lee directly or run."

The soldier nodded. The two officers released Eric from his cuffs and escorted him towards a field in the park next to the courthouse. The large crowd of people, along with the news reporters, followed them over to watch. Police escorted Celest and Harmony over as well, but kept the two approximately ten meters to Eric's left and no closer. Once there, the officers pulling Eric along let go of him as Lee took his position across from him. Another officer from the pokemon transport approached the soldier, holding the evidence bag containing his pokeballs.

"Which one?" The officer asked.

"The one with the faded and scratched paint." Eric responded, not taking his eyes off of Lee.

The officer reached into the bag and pulled out the worn pokeball. He tossed it to Eric, who caught it without taking his eyes off of Lee. The sadistic neighbor smiled at Eric the whole time as he grabbed the pokeball of his choosing from his belt. Lee then cocked his arm back and threw the ball.

"Go Magnezone!" Lee yelled, releasing the electric/steel dual type pokemon. The metal saucer-shaped pokemon glared at Eric with its large red eye.

Eric looked at the worn pokeball in his hand. He smiled, then tossed the ball out.

"Garchomp, you're up!" The soldier called out. The dragon/ground dual type was released, giving out a loud roar.

Several people looked on in awe. Those who knew of Eric have heard of his garchomp and his role in the Battle of Iron Island. They are ready to see the dragon in action. Eric smiled to himself as Garchomp took a few steps forward, eyeing the Magnezone in front of him. **This shouldn't be so bad.** Eric thought. **Garchomp is immune to electric attacks. It will force Lee to use other strategies.**

"Why don't you start us off?" Eric yelled at Lee. His voice was dark.

Lee grinned, then said, "Sure thing. I promise you though...you won't be walking away from this battle happy!"

Those words sent a shiver down Eric's spine, but he ignored it. He had to win this battle. Maybe it could sway more people's opinions to his side to help him, though this battle was primarily just to get back at Lee for what he's caused him and his family. It was also to get back for everything he did to Celest's mother, Grace. He wanted to win this for them. This was for family.

"Magnezone! Use thunder shock!" Lee yelled. The move confused Eric. **Doesn't he know Garchomp is immune to electric attacks?** He thought.

The magnet area pokemon released a bolt of electricity. It arced towards Garchomp and scored a direct hit. Smoke and debris was blown into the air from the impact, but when it cleared everyone could see that the dragon was unaffected completely. Garchomp let out an annoyed huff, then looked back at Eric.

The soldier shook his head. "Garchomp, attack with dig!"

Garchomp burrowed underground. Everyone went silent as they watched to see where he would come up. Magnezone's eyes were looking around frantically. Then the ground under the magnetic pokemon shook; the dragon shot up from the ground and slammed into his opponent hard. Magnezone flew up into the air and then fell back down to the ground. Its eyes were swirling around in a daze, but it managed to recover. Eric was shocked to see that it managed to stay up from that attack. He knew it had to do crazy amounts of damage. Even Garchomp seemed surprised.

Lee let out a laugh, "You think my pokemon are that easy to beat? It takes more than that!"

He then threw his arm out, pointing at Garchomp, "Now attack with sonic boom!"

The Magnezone's magnets glowed white as it swung them, releasing a sonic blast towards Garchomp. He attempted to dodge it, but had nowhere to go. The sonic blast hit the dragon and knocked him back. Garchomp managed to remain standing. He was merely pushed back several meters as his feet dug into the ground to stop himself.

"You good?" Eric asked him. The dragon let out a sarcastic huff like Eric was being ridiculous for asking that. Eric chuckled, then gave the next order.

"Quick! Attack with sand tomb!"

Garchomp waved his arms, sending a whirlwind of sand hurtling towards the Magnezone. It nearly connected, but the pokemon managed to dodge it. Lee then yelled out to his pokemon.

"Attack with gyroball!"

The Magnezone spun and flew towards Garchomp at high speed. The dragon leaped to the side and dodged the attack as well though. The battle then continued for several minutes, with each pokemon dodging the other's attacks. Even when one would manage to hit the other, it didn't seem to affect them much. Eric had a hard time understanding Lee's strategy. Some of his attacks made no sense. He would occasionally have his Magnezone attack with an electric move, knowing it wouldn't hurt his Garchomp. Even then, the dragon and his opponent were beginning to wear out. Eric tried to make sense of the sadistic neighbor's madness...then it hit him. He wasn't trying to beat his garchomp, he was just trying to bid for time as well.

Eric looked at the Magnezone. While its central red eye was fixated on the dragon, the other two smaller eyes were looking at something else. Eric followed the pokemon's gaze...and right to Celest. The powerful steel-type was glaring at the Gardevoir holding the Ralts. Eric's gut twisted into a knot at the sudden realization. Lee was just trying to wear down Garchomp so he could attack Celest.

"Garchomp! Use giga impact! Take that Magnezone down now!" Eric yelled at Garchomp. The dragon charged forward in a blaze of energy...but the steel pokemon dodged it.

Lee let out a laugh, then stared at Eric with a cruel grin. He pointed at Celest.

"Magnezone! End this! Attack the Gardevoir with flash cannon!" He yelled.

A gasp escaped the crowd. The police watching froze up, unable to do anything to stop the magnetic pokemon. The Magnezone charged up and fired a deadly, white beam of steel-type energy right at Celest. She panicked and closed her eyes, bracing for the impact and covering Harmony as much as she could with her own body. The beam shot straight for them with deadly accuracy. Eric didn't hesitate, he rushed forward. The two police officers behind him tried to stop him but failed. The soldier ran as fast as he could, then jumped in the beam's path.

It hit with explosive force. Smoke blew outwards in every direction and covered the battlefield. Celest was still braced, but noticed it didn't hit her. She opened her eyes and looked up. Her heart then felt as if it stopped as the smoke cleared. The blast made a small crater, and laying in it was Eric. He wasn't moving at all and his clothes were tattered and burnt. A silence came over the crowd. Many were covering their mouths in shock. The police were still frozen at what just happened. Officer Jenny watched on with widened eyes.

" **Daddy! No!** " Harmony screamed and jumped out of Celest's arms. She quickly floated over to Eric and tried to shake him awake. " **Daddy! Wake up please!** "

Eric still didn't move. Everyone looked on, all still in shock. Garchomp rushed over and started nudging Eric as well. Still, there was no movement. The dragon kept nudging him and whimpering. Lee started laughing from his spot on the field.

"What a waste...Magnezone, do it again. Hit the Gardevoir this time." He ordered. The magnezone started charging up another flash cannon, but paused when it saw that Celest started to glow brightly.

She had her teeth gritted together and her eyes were tightly shut as she started floating higher off the ground. Tears streamed down her face as the gardevoirite hanging from her neck was shaking and shining with a beautiful light. Laying on Eric's chest and limply in his hand, the key stone embedded in his dog tag was glowing. Beams and tangles of light shot out of the key stone and whipped their way to meet the same tangles of light coming from Celest's mega stone. Once they connected, she became engulfed in a white light. Everyone looked on in shock as the gardevoir began to transform in front of them. Her dress turned pure white and bellowed out like a wedding dress. The green sleeves of her arms turned snow white and formed into long gloves ending at her elbows. Her hair lengthened and curled tighter around her spiky ears, which in turn pointed more upwards and appeared to be sharper. Her heart piece became enlarged and split into two halves, forming twin red spikes protruding from her chest. The blinding white light dissipated and revealed her to everyone around. No one could look away from her.

"Oh my god..." One police officer quietly said.

"What happened to her?" Another asked.

Officer Jenny stared at Celest in amazement. "She mega evolved..."

Her gaze dropped to the ground as she realized something. She then said quietly, "...and that can only happen when a pokemon has a true bond with its trainer."

Mega Celest reopened her eyes. The deep red crimson of her irides seemed to glow on their own against the bluish light that the rest of her eyes emitted. She stared right at the Magnezone. A shadow ball formed in front of her as she poured hatred into it. She threw it and the ball of energy slammed into the Magnezone. It was blown back and to the ground in a daze, and barely managed to lift itself back off the ground. She then reached out, grabbing the pokemon in her psychic grasp. The magnezone, who was normally resistant to psychic powers, found itself unable to struggle against her grip. It glowed in a blue light as it was thrown violently and high into the air. It was then caught and slammed down hard into the ground. She repeated the attack over and over, slamming the pokemon into the ground as she felt every ounce of her anger being released against it. It hurt her Eric, her lover, her mate. She was going to really hurt this pokemon, and nothing was going to stop her.

Celest slammed the injured pokemon into the ground once more and held it there. It was long unconscious and out of the fight, but she didn't care. She wanted revenge for hurting Eric. The police continued to look on. They knew they had to do something, but none of them had a pokemon powerful enough to stop the enraged Mega Gardevoir. Lee screamed at the police to do something as Celest held down the Magnezone and charged up a moon blast. She put all of her energy into the attack as the blazing ball of tremendous pink energy charged between her hands. She was about to release it when she heard a weak voice call out to her.

"Celest...stop..." It was Eric. He was weakly standing at the edge of the crater. He held his side as he looked up at her.

Celest saw him and immediately lost the glow of her eyes. Tears quickly replaced it as she fired the moon blast up into the air and away from everyone. It exploded harmlessly well above the battlefield. She dropped down to the ground and floated over to Eric. He collapsed as she reached him. She caught him as he fell and turned from her mega form back to her normal self. She dropped to her knees and held Eric in her arms. She had tears rolling down her face as she looked at him. He turned his head to cough, then weakly smiled as he reached up to stroke her cheek.

"You...were so beautiful..." He said, his voice was raspy. A tear of pain left his eyes as her own glimmered at him.

She started to shake with fear. She didn't want to lose him. She felt like sobbing right there, but he place a finger over her lips to shush her.

"I'll be okay love. I just hurt a bit." He said, trying to be reassuring.

" **Please don't die...** " She said, her voice trembling in his mind.

He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a kiss. He didn't care that the entire crowd watched on. He didn't care that the police could see it. Not in that moment. He kissed her as deeply as he could. She melted into the kiss as she pressed her lips back into his. Several moments passed, and they pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. They could feel the gaze of everyone staring at them, and many were in tears. Even those who may not have supported their relationship could no longer deny the love that the soldier and his Gardevoir shared.

Celest stood up and slowly helped Eric to his feet. He braced himself against her as they saw the Magnezone being pulled back into its pokeball. Lee nervously looked around and saw right then that hundreds of pissed off eyes suddenly rested on him. He turned to leave the battlefield, but as he turned, Eric's garchomp jumped into his path and bared his teeth, growling loudly. The dragon had a look of death in his slit eyes as he stared the cruel human down. Lee stopped in his path and spun back around. From there he saw Officer Jenny and several other cops quickly moving towards him. He tried to run, but his entire body locked up as he glowed in an aura of psychic energy. He managed to look over to see the small shiny Ralts holding her arms out while angrily looking at him. Her amber eyes were glowing with power as she held him in place.

"Lee McDonough! You're under arrest!" Jenny yelled, reaching for her handcuffs.

She slapped the cuffs on his wrists and two officers began to drag him away.

"What the hell for?" He yelled in shock, "You're supposed to be locking Hahn up!"

Officer Jenny shoved him along, responding, "You're under arrest for having your pokemon attack an unauthorized target and endangering innocent civilians!"

Lee tried fighting against the cops pulling his arms, but one drew his taser and shocked him. He screamed in pain and then yelled back at Jenny.

"What about Hahn and that Gardevoir of his!?"

Officer Jenny looked over at Eric and Celest. The soldier was still weakly stadning, braced against his Gardevoir and holding his side as the mates looked on. Jenny then smiled at them.

"What about them? All I see is a normal trainer who really cares for his pokemon." She said, waving towards the other police officers to back away from the mates, "I'll make sure the charges are dropped. Eric Hahn is free to go with his pokemon."

Many people in the crowd let out a cheer of celebration. The ones holding the signs waved them around wildly as they chanted for Eric and Celest. Even those who thought their relationship was wrong let out small smiles towards the two lovers. Very few looked away in disgust. Garchomp joined in with the cheering by letting out a victorious roar. Eric smiled at the dragon and called him back into his pokeball. His eyesight then blurred as he became lightheaded again. Celest caught him as he almost collapsed.

" **That attack really hurt you Eric! We need to get help!** " Celest said. She then looked over at the nearest police officer and transmitted her thoughts to him, " **Officer, get an ambulance for Eric! He needs help!** "

The officer seemed shocked that the Gardevoir was talking to her, but he nodded and grabbed his radio. Celest slowly lowered Eric down as his eyes fluttered and he started coughing violently. He then fell unconscious. Worry and dread came over her as he looked like death was taking over. She felt like panicking deep inside. His breathing was very shallow and erratic. Several of his ribs must have been broken. She stayed with him until the ambulance arrived after what felt like forever.

Once they were there, they quickly got Eric onto a stretcher and into the emergency vehicle. One of the paramedics looking over Eric's injuries paused and looked at Celest. She then spoke to her.

"He's hurt pretty bad. There's definitely broken bones, burns and probably a concussion. He may have a collapsed lung as well, judging from his irregular chest movements as he breathes." She said. Celest worriedly looked at the paramedic as Harmony floated over to her and into her arms. The paramedic continued, "You may get in as well if you wish and ride with us to the hospital. I'm sure he'll want his girlfriend with him...and don't worry Gardevoir, we'll do everything we can for him. He's been through worse before I'm sure."

The paramedic gave a reassuring smile to Celest, who returned it. She went to enter the ambulance, but was stopped by Officer Jenny.

"Hey...Celest, isn't it?" She said. Celest nodded at her. Jenny then continued, "I want to apologize for all this...I know I shouldn't technically be letting Eric go, but I can see he truly cares for you and the little one."

She pointed at Harmony, who was refusing to look at her. Celest nodded again.

"I'm letting him go for now because of what he did to save you. I'm sure that attack would have horribly injured or even killed you and your ralts. And then when you mega evolved...only pokemon with a pure bond with their trainer can do that." Officer Jenny said with a apologetic look, "...but please remember that this doesn't mean that you two are free to show affection whenever you want. Human-pokemon relationships are still illegal, so there won't be much I can do next time if you and him are openly kissing or something."

Jenny chuckled lightly, then the saddened look returned to her face. "Again, I'm sorry..."

Celest shook her head this time. " **You were only doing your job Officer Jenny. I forgive you...and thank you.** "

Officer Jenny let out a smile. She nodded, then said, "...As for Lee...he's going away for quite a while. He put you and your Ralts in extreme danger, not to mention the bystanders and the fact that he did injure Eric."

The officer then turned to walk away, saying, "I'll keep Eric in my thoughts...he is a hero to many of us after all."

Celest smiled as she watched Officer Jenny walk away. She then turned and got into the ambulance. The doors closed and the vehicle rushed off to the hospital. On the way over, she kissed Eric gently on the forehead. The two paramedics looked on, and they both had small smiles on their faces. Celest looked at them and blushed.

"Don't worry about it." One of them said with a chuckle.

Celest smiled at them, then noticed that Harmony was fast asleep in her arms. She laid her head back, deciding that she should get some rest as well. As she closed her eyes, she thought to herself.

 **So now everyone knows Eric and I are together...and many are actually okay with it. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise for us, and maybe one day it won't be illegal anymore and we can openly be together...maybe one day, now that the truth is out.**

* * *

 **That is the end of the chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed what happened! There is more to come next week! I'll see you all then, peace!**


	17. A New Day

**It's time again! Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the two-part The Truth Comes Out chapters! We are unfortunately coming closer to what I have planned to be the end. It's not this chapter mind you! There's still several more to be had before the finale. Everything will be building up to one final climax, and I hope you all enjoy. Anyways, on to the disclaimer: I do not claim to own Pokemon or any part of it. Pokemon in all its greatness belongs to its rightful owners. Enough crap out of me, lets get to it! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: A New Day**

Eric saw a bright light closing in on him. He held his hands in front of him to shield his eyes from the light, but it was far too bright. It came at him in a rush, hitting him with a huge force that felt like train. Once it hit, everything went blurry again, then a new world swirled into place.

The soldier found himself on a grassy plain. It was sunny out, with few clouds obscuring the deep blue sky. Flowers dotted the fields as group of beautiflies fluttered overhead. It was serene; everything was so peaceful. Eric smiled and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Then he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"So you somehow managed to get yourself hurt again, huh?" The voice said.

Eric turned around. It was Joe, or at least the spirit version of him. He was standing on the edge of a cliff that was only about five meters from where Eric was standing. The cliff overlooked a dark abyss deep below its steep drop.

"Hey Joe, it's been awhile." Eric said. He began to feel slightly emotional. Joe turned around to face him.

"Too long really." Joe said, crossing his arms. "I'm surprised that you're not asking if you're dead or not."

Eric looked down at himself. He seemed fine for the most part. The only thing that caught his attention was the fact that he had both legs; no prosthetic right leg. He seemed surprised himself, then remembered what had happened. How he sacrificed himself to save Celest's life. His eyes widened at the memory. The emotions grew stronger now.

Joe smiled, then waved dismissively at Eric.

"Now don't be freaking out on me. You're alive still, you're just unconscious and injured after taking that hit...though I'm sure your girls are still worried."

Eric thought of Celest and Harmony. **They must both be worried sick.** He thought.

"I have to wake up!" Eric called out. "I can't let them worry about me!"

Joe shook his head. He gave Eric a sarcastic grin.

"Now here I was thinking you'd appreciate a short talk with your old friend." Joe chuckled. He walked over to Eric and placed his arm around his shoulder.

"Listen man...do you remember when I said you had tough times ahead?" Eric nodded, then Joe continued, "Well...you've only been through part of it...I wish I could tell you more, but you have to find out for yourself."

Joe led Eric over to the edge of the cliff. They both looked over the edge and into the abyss that was waiting at the bottom. Eric could hear what sounded like a massive battle hundreds of feet down below. The soldier stared down into the black clouds. Lightning surged from cloud to cloud as thunder bellowed over the sounds of gunfire and pokemon fighting. He could hear what sounded like Celest and Harmony yelling frantically for him. After several moments, a huge black mass with red eyes like hellfire shot up from the abyss towards the two. Eric let out a yell and fell backwards away from the cliff's edge.

He fell backwards to the ground. He sat up, clutching his chest in shock. **What was that thing?** He thought. It didn't look like anything he had ever seen before. It was like a massive pokemon with wings as black as the night itself. Joe watched down at the abyss for another few moments, apparently oblivious to the creature down below. Eric continued to clutch his chest as he caught his breath. Joe then turned to face him. His face was serious.

"Listen man...nobody stays alive forever. Everything has an end, and nobody has a say in when it happens." Joe said. His voice was smooth as glass but serious in tone.

Eric pointed to the edge. "Joe, did you not see that thing?"

Joe shrugged, "I see is what is hidden and waiting. You can see the dark clouds. Those clouds symbolize the unknown that awaits you. Anything you see besides that, is something else all together."

Eric's gaze went back to the cliff as he stood up. He slowly walked over to the edge once more and looked down. The monster was gone, and so were the sounds. Only the black clouds remained, obscuring what laid below them. He still felt uneasy looking into the clouds. Joe placed his hand on Eric's shoulder.

"You still have a lot ahead of you before your peace can finally be reached. That peace waits for you at the bottom of the abyss...I may not know exactly what that peace is, but I know that what stands between you and that peace will test you to the limits. It will decide if you are worthy of that peace."

Joe looked at Eric for another moment, then looked back down into the abyss. He sighed, then continued.

"Hold onto Celest and Harmony. Hold on, and never let go of them. They are the key to reaching your peace, and they are your happiness. Protect them with every fiber of your being...and never. Let. Go." Joe finished.

With those words said, Joe didn't give Eric the chance to say anything back. He got behind Eric and placed both hands on his shoulders. Then, with one shove, he pushed Eric off the cliff and down into the abyss. The soldier tried to scream as he fell, but no sound escaped his mouth. As he dropped towards the clouds, the monster reemerged. Eric couldn't look away from its blood-red eyes as a gaping mouth opened in the front of its head. It swallowed Eric whole as everything went dark again.

He floated in darkness for what felt like an eternity. Then, there it was. Sounds. Voices calling for him. Eric tried his best to focus on the voices beckoning his name.

" **Eric...** " one said.

" **Daddy...please wake up...** " another sounded out. An echo in his mind.

The angelic voices continued for several moments with broken emotions sewed within them. Eric then finally recognized the sounds. **Celest! Harmony!** Eric yelled in his mind. **I must wake up!**

Eric slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Everything was in a blur for several moments, then it all cleared up. He was once again in a hospital room. He could barely move, every joint and muscle protested his attempts to sit up in the bed he was laying in. He looked down at himself. His torso was wrapped in bandages from the injuries he sustained. Then sudden, intense feelings of relief hit him like a tidal wave; they were not his own. He was feeling the emotions of the two beings beside his bed as they projected their thoughts to him.

" **Oh Eric! You're awake!** " Celest cried out, trying her best not to grab the injured soldier up into a tight hug. She instead grabbed his hand and squeezed it as she kissed him fervently.

Harmony was beaming with joy. She let out an emotional squeal as she grabbed her father's other hand. The shiny Ralts was practically jumping with joy in her seat.

" **Daddy! You're alive!** " She exclaimed.

Eric looked from one of the pokemon to the other, managing to give them both a warm smile. He squeezed their hands in his own. He then looked back over at Celest, who had tears of relief and happiness welling in her crimson eyes.

"Hello, love." He managed to get out. Speaking those words sent some pain through his chest, but he ignored it.

Celest smiled back at him. " **I'm so happy you're okay...you took a huge hit.** "

Eric nodded, then replied sarcastically, "Yeah...you know what? I'm tired of being sent to the hospital because of you."

He smiled as she giggled lightly to his joke.

" **Well then maybe you should stop getting yourself hurt.** " The Gardevoir said. She reached out and stroked his cheek.

Eric closed his eyes for a moment. He enjoyed and missed her touch.

"For you love, it's worth it." He said, reaching up and caressing her face. He pulled her face down to kiss her. Their lips locked together and the two relished in the sweet moment. They didn't notice the other human walking in.

The woman, dressed neatly in a formal jacket and dress, paused as she closed the door. The mates broke their kiss and the small family all looked at her. The woman tried her best to hide a slight blush as she pulled at her jacket to straighten it.

"Oh, I'm sorry...I don't mean to intrude on anything." She said, adjusting her grip on the thick folder she held.

"Yeah...and who are you?" Eric asked, somewhat aggravated at the woman's sudden appearance.

The lady straightened up and looked through her folder for a moment, then back up at them. She then crossed the room with her hand held out for a handshake.

"My name is Amanda, and I represent the group, Equal Love."

She stopped just short of Eric's bed. Her hand was still extended as the soldier and his two pokemon looked at her. She suddenly felt nervous and she started to lower her hand. Then, Eric slowly began to rise up to the seated position. He groaned, seemingly in pain, as he tried to sit up. The Gardevoir next to him seemed to say something to him telepathically, because even though she was silent, he waved her off as if he was responding to words she had just said. Celest then helped Eric sit himself up. He looked at Amanda with a serious gaze. It then softened as a smile crept across his face and he held his hand out.

"I think I remember seeing you somewhere." He said, shaking her hand. "I think it was actually on the news while I sat in jail...you seem to support the kind of relationship I've been accused of being in."

Amanda smiled as she let go of Eric's hand. "Yes, though I'm sure it's more than simply an accusation considering the kiss I saw you two sharing when I walked in."

Eric chuckled to himself, followed by Celest giggling silently while covering her smile. Harmony pulled herself into Eric's bed and cuddled up next to him. He smiled down at her and put an arm around the Ralts.

"You have a very loving family it seems." Amanda said. "We hear of relationships just like yours quite frequently, believe it or not. We do always have to be careful, as many are sadly just cases of a trainer sexually abusing their pokemon...though it can be safely said that you are not one of those cases."

Eric nodded, "Of course not. I love Celest with all my heart. I would never hurt her in any way. Same with Harmony here."

He rustled her hair as she let out a giggle and looked up at Amanda with her gleaming amber eyes. Amanda could only see happiness in those young eyes, and in Eric and Celest's, she could only see true love. She herself smiled at the family.

"It's good to see such love being shared." Amanda said. "I wanted to swing by to let you know that Equal Loves fully supports you. Many regular people have come out to support you as well...Eric, you and your Gardevoir have done something in only a few nights that our group has been trying to do for years now. There is now growing public support for the legalization of relationships just like yours. Maybe in a few years you and other couples like you won't have to hide anymore."

The statement brought tears of joy to both Eric and Celest. They were so happy to hear that. Celest was beaming as she said. " **I sure hope our love will be accepted someday. We don't want special treatment or anything like that. We just want to be seen as simply another regular couple. That's all we ask.** "

Eric nodded in agreement. "I don't even like the fact that my relationship with Celest is being put out there so much. We just want to live a normal life. But, if this helps not only us, but other couples like us to gain the same rights as everyone else, then so be it."

Celest leaned down and kissed Eric's cheek joyfully. It brought another smile to Amanda's face. She rustled through her folder once more, then looked at her watch to see the time.

"Well there are other appointments I have to meet." She said, looking back at the small family. "It's been an honor meeting you all. Just know that Equal Love fully supports you and we wish you many years of happiness and peace."

She bowed slightly, then turned to leave the room. On her way out, she nearly bumped into the Champion of Sinnoh. She quickly apologized to Cynthia, then swiftly went around her as Cynthia let out a giggle. Once the door was closed, she went over to Eric's bed. Harmony jumped off of the bed and floated over to her as quickly as she could, leaping into her arms in a tight hug.

Cynthia started laughing. "Well hello to you as well, Harmony! Missing me already? It's only been a few days."

Harmony tightened her hug slightly. " **I still missed you Aunt Cynthia!** "

Celest stood from her chair and crossed the room towards the Champion. Harmony released her from her hug and Cynthia went over to Celest and hugged her for a moment. She then turned to Eric and squeezed his hand.

"It's good to see that you're okay, Eric." She said, smiling at him.

Eric returned the smile. "Of course I am. It takes more than that to put me down."

Celest offered her chair to Cynthia, who politely thanked her and sat down. Celest then took a seat next to Eric on his bed. Cynthia looked out the window for a few seconds. Light spilled through the glass and filled the room with a warm glow. The sounds of a bustling city could be heard outside.

"That neighbor of yours is going to be seeing the inside of a cell for a while." Cynthia said after a few moments of silence. She turned to Eric with a stern face. "He could not be excused for his actions."

Eric and Celest nodded. Harmony returned to her spot at Eric's side and pulled one of his arms around her. Celest sat still for a second, then transmitted her speech to Cynthia.

" **What about the charges against Eric? Have they truly been dropped?** " She asked worriedly.

Cynthia then smiled again, nodding her head. "Yes. Eric will be a free man once he is released from the hospital. I even personally went to the media to testify in favor of you guys. Sometimes being the Champion has its benefits regarding public opinions."

Eric and Celest shared a small laugh. Eric felt much better knowing that the law wasn't after him.

" **So that means Officer Jenny kept her promise?** " Celest asked.

"Yes Celest, she did. Stop worrying okay?" Cynthia said with a light chuckle.

Celest blushed slightly, and Eric grabbed her hand and squeezed it in assurance. They shared a smile to each other. Everyone sat in a content silence, but was then interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Eric said, his voice slightly still hoarse. Then, more quietly he said, "How many freaking visitors today?..."

The door opened slowly, then a woman entered the room. It was Tracy, Lee's wife. She was brightly dressed in a summer dress. She looked nervous to be in the room. Celest stood up and glowed slightly. She felt small bit of anger at the woman's appearance. Eric sat up a bit more in his bed. He gave her a stern look.

"May I help you?" He asked.

Tracy stood there for a second, playing with her hands nervously. She could feel the distrust and anger emanating from the Gardevoir. She looked to the floor and finally spoke up in a broken voice.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry..." she said.

Celest and Eric were surprised. The soldier raised an eyebrow and the Gardevoir felt her anger subside. She reached into Tracy's mind with her psychic powers and felt she was being sincere.

"I'm so sorry about everything..." Tracy continued, her voice cracking. "I have tried to put up with Lee all these years, and I had hope that maybe he'd change...I can see now that he never did."

A few tear drops hit the floor as Tracy let her emotions show. The others in the room remained quiet. Tracy then looked up and locked eyes with Celest.

"Grace...Lee told me he found out she was your mother. She was actually my pokemon...Lee just used her for his battles." She said as more tears pooled in her eyes. Her fingers were tightly intertwined with each other. Her gaze dropped back to the floor.

"I foolishly let Lee abuse her...at the time I was too stupid to actually see it...and then to see him try to rip you two apart. I can't do it anymore."

Tracy took a step back and leaned against the thick wooden door. "I'm...I'm glad he will serve his time in jail. I'm also divorcing him. He deserves it."

Her eyes went back up to Celest and glanced between her and Eric. "There is nothing wrong with you two. I may not agree with your relationship...but there isn't any reason you can't be happy together. I'm so sorry..."

She then broke down. Her words touched Celest. She knew that every word spoken was the truth, and nothing else. She looked back to Eric, with the slight evidence of a tear in her own red eyes. Eric slowly nodded to her. Celest then floated over to Tracy and did something that the neighbor never thought that the Gardevoir would do to someone like her, someone who's husband put her through so much. Celest pulled her into a hug. A warm, thankful one. With words as soft as an angel's touch, Celest spoke to her.

" **We** **forgive you.** "

Celest wasn't only speaking for herself and Eric. She was speaking as well for her mother. Celest could sense her mother's presence as well. She opened her eyes, and for a split second could almost see her mother embracing Tracy along with her. Everyone in the room was moved. Tracy sobbed quietly as she returned the embrace. After several unspoken moments, Tracy pulled back and looked at Celest. They smiled at each other as both had tears running down their faces.

Tracy reached up and wiped and one of Celest's tears.

"The resemblance is strong, you're just as beautiful as your mother." Tracy said with a slight chuckle. Celest smiled a little bigger. "I need to know...Where is Grace? Is she okay?"

Celest lost her smile, turning into a slight frown. She shook her head slowly. Tracy's gaze went back to the floor as she tried to hold back more tears. Celest projected her memories of the events of what happened on Iron Island to her. Tracy got a trance-like look on her face as she saw the events happen through Celest's young eyes. She saw how her father was murdered. She witnessed her mother taking the bullets for Celest, and how Eric stopped the two grunts from killing her. She then saw as a younger Eric was on his knees, crying over the dying Gardevoir as he tried in vain to save her from her mortal wounds. It only lasted a few seconds, but Tracy learned everything in that short time. She looked into Celest's crimson eyes, then over her shoulder at the soldier who had saved the Gardevoir's life.

"I saw everything..." Tracy said, now understanding it all. "I am...greatly saddened at the knowledge of Grace passing...but I can be happy knowing that her legacy still lives on in such a beautiful family like yours."

Tracy and Celest pulled away from their embrace. The Gardevoir floated back to Eric's bedside, never taking her eyes off of Tracy. The neighbor looked once more at her, then to Eric. She gave a courteous smile and nodded.

"I am glad to see that you are okay, Eric." She said. "Marcus and Lane back in the neighborhood have cleaned the paint my husband marked on your house...I wish you all a joyous life."

With that, Tracy turned and left the room. The door latched closed with a soft click. It was quiet again. Everyone sat in silence for a few moments, then Harmony moved. She turned and lightly patted on Eric's chest, getting his attention.

" **Daddy, I'm hungry!** " She whined. " **When can we go home?** "

Eric chuckled at the small Ralts. He pulled her into a light hug. Cynthia and Celest smiled at the sight. Cynthia stood from her chair.

"Are you feeling well enough to head home just yet, Eric?" The Champion asked.

Eric shrugged, giving a nonchalant glance at her. "I'm just a little sore is all. Nothing a bit of rest can't fix."

He looked over at Celest with a grin. "Let's head home."

The soldier started to stand, fighting against his muscles protesting against the movements. He groaned in pain, but managed to attach his prosthetic and stand. He felt light-headed and stumbled forward. Cynthia and Celest both gasped and went to catch him. Eric was grabbed gently by Celest's psychic and held up.

" **Are you sure that you're fine? You certainly don't seem like it yet.** " She asked.

Eric waved her off with a huff. She sighed and let go of him. He took a few more shaky steps, and then seemed somewhat okay. He looked at her and had a cocky look on his face.

"See?" He said with his arms wide open, quickly glancing down at himself. "Perfectly normal."

He then nearly lost balance and Celest had to catch him again. Once he straightened up again, she let him walk on his own as she let out a sigh.

" **So stubborn...** " She said, receiving a giggle from Cynthia.

"He is your man." The Champion replied.

Eric walked to the door, not looking at either of them. Instead he merely flexed one of his arms as a humorous show of his mental strength. Celest couldn't help but let a small grin spread across her face as she shook her head. Harmony giggled and levitated off the bed and went over to Eric's side. She reached up and took his hand. The father and daughter left the room as the soldier occasionally braced his free hand against a wall for support.

Cynthia and Celest followed them out. The group walked down the white, clean hallways towards the main lobby. They passed numerous other wooden doors that no doubt led to other, nearly identical hospital rooms. There were wheeled hospital beds scattered occasionally between rooms, some with empty IV racks standing next to them. Several Chanseys walked past the group, with most paying no mind to them. They all had the same jovial grin on their faces as they waddled to their various destinations. The few that did acknowledge them only did so by widening their smiles as they glanced at one of them.

Eventually the four made it to the front lobby. It wasn't very busy. Only a few visitors were milling about in the large, heavily windowed room. The main nurse took notice at Eric hobbling his way towards the elongated front desk. She seemed surprised that he was up and moving, much less even awake yet.

"Mr. Hahn!" She called out, wide-eyed. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving around yet!"

Eric made it to the desk. He braced himself against it and waved her off with a smug grin. Harmony couldn't see over the top of the desk, so she levitated herself just high enough to peek over the polished granite top. Celest and Cynthia stopped a short distance behind the soldier. Celest sighed to herself and shot the nurse an apologetic glance.

"I'm fine ma'am. Never felt better." Eric said. As soon as the words left his mouth, a shot of pain went through his chest in protest. He winced and grabbed at his side, but quickly shook it off.

"You are in no condition to be leaving this facility yet!" The nurse said loudly. She pressed a button on her desk and within a few seconds a Chansey appeared at her sides. She then said, "I must please ask you to return to your room, this Chansey will help you."

Eric straightened up. His face never showed any signs of hostility. He knew she was just trying to help him.

"I'd like to return home nurse. I understand what you're trying to do, but if I have to, then I'll go AMA." The soldier said, receiving a worried look from the nurse.

Celest was confused. She looked over at Cynthia.

" **AMA? What's that?** " She asked.

The Champion didn't look at her, she still watched the nurse and Eric stand their grounds. Harmony continued to peek over the top of the desk at the Chansey.

"Against Medical Advice. It's a legal thing meaning that Eric won't listen to what anyone here tells him." She said to Celest. The Gardevoir nodded, then looked back at Eric.

" **Hun...please listen to them...they only mean the best.** " She said to Eric. He glanced back over his shoulder at her, then back to the nurse.

"I'm fine Celest. Promise." He replied.

The nurse looked at Celest, then back to Eric. Though she didn't hear whatever the Gardevoir said to him, she could only assume that she had agreed with her. Eric raised one eyebrow at the nurse, then said.

"I plan on going home today. My plans involve packing up to prepare to move and resting as much as I can."

The nurse sighed, then slowly nodded in defeat. She grabbed a folder and retrieved a few papers from it and handed it to the Chansey. It waddled away into a room behind the desk.

"Alright, I have to allow it...on one condition." She said. Eric looked at her quizzically. The nurse continued as the Chansey returned with a small white box. "Here is your medication. Please take two per day. It will help with the pain and keep you from being light-headed...and do please refrain from doing anything too physical."

Eric smiled and nodded, taking the small box from the Chansey who handed it to him with the usual smile. He opened the box and pulled out the plastic bottle. He quickly opened the cap and downed one of the pills.

"Thank you nurse. I appreciate the help...once again." He said, tapping his prosthetic foot against the tiled floor.

The nurse finally smiled back and giggled lightly. She looked back over at Celest.

"And as for you." She said, quickly gaining the Gardevoir's attention. Celest's eyes widened and locked with hers. She cocked her head to the side.

"Promise me you'll keep him from doing anything too stupid okay? As much as we like seeing you guys, I'd rather it be for reasons that don't require him being under our care."

The nurse chuckled at her words, and Celest giggled as well. Eric thanked the nurse again and turned to leave. He walked up to Celest, patting her on the shoulder.

"Let's go home." He said with a warm smile.

The group left the hospital and began walking through the parking lot. Cynthia had mentioned to them that she would drive the family home. As they neared the Champion's vehicle, they heard a deep call towards them. It was aimed at Celest in particular, causing her to freeze up. She seemed shocked at first, then it turned to anger. Eric stopped in his tracks, along with everyone else.

"Celest, what's wrong?" Eric asked.

At that moment, a Gallade approached the group within a few meters. His trainer was next to him. He was young, maybe about fourteen years old.

 _I beg your pardon?_ Celest said, turning to the pokemon, offended.

The Gallade grinned lewdly. _You heard me sweetheart. Why don't you ditch these fools and come with me? I can show you a really good time._

Celest gritted her teeth. Eric looked at her, then towards the Gallade's trainer.

"May I help you?" Eric asked, knowing something was wrong.

The young trainer chuckled and shrugged. He looked at Celest and then back at Eric.

"My Gallade here is looking for a mate, and he could sense that your Gardevoir is in heat. We're wanting to know if you'd mind letting him and her have a little fun?" The trainer said. His tone was serious.

Eric felt his mouth curl into a sneer for a split second, but stopped himself. He knew he could trust Celest. He looked dead into the trainer's eyes.

"You have no idea who we are, do you?" He asked. He wasn't trying to pull a 'I'm famous'-thing. He was just shocked that the kid didn't appear to recognize them from the recent news.

The trainer shrugged again. "Nope, no idea. I just got here in Sinnoh a few days ago. Now come on, I'm sure your Gardevoir would have fun with it too."

Celest shot the trainer a look that could kill to the kid. Her eyes then locked back on to the Gallade.

 _Come on baby, you know you want some of me._ The Gallade said with a grin.

 _Back off...right now. I already have a mate._ She said. Her voice was darker in tone.

 _And who might that be?_ The Gallade retorted. He then sensed the bond between Celest and Eric. His eyes widened. _No way...don't tell me it's your trainer?_

Celest nodded, receiving a sneer from the Blade Pokemon.

 _Well why don't you just leave that pathetic excuse for flesh and come breed with a real mate?_ He then said. Celest felt a fire ignite in her chest.

The trainer looked at his Gallade and the Gardevoir. He seemed to be getting impatient.

"Come on man!" He called out, gesturing towards Celest. "She's just a freaking pokemon, just order her to go!"

Eric's eyes filled with anger. He could feel heat raise in the Gardevoir next to him. Cynthia gently picked up Harmony and took a few steps back with a whistle.

"Harmony, let's get back a little bit." The Champion said.

Harmony looked at Cynthia, then to her mother.

 _Mommy, what's wrong?_ She asked worriedly.

 _Don't worry sweetheart. Let Mommy deal with this._ Celest said calmly to her daughter.

Celest stood her ground. She closed her eyes and hummed to herself. The Gallade made a noise that resembled a mating call. A wave of anger went through Celest's body. Finally she opened her eyes. They were glowing an intense blue. She grabbed the Gallade before he could react. She tossed him back like a doll and lifted him into the air.

"Hey!" The trainer yelled. "Let him go!"

Celest didn't listen. She smashed the Gallade into the pavement, hard. She repeated the attack several more times. The trainer ran over to Eric and grabbed at his shirt, yelling for him to order Celest to stop.

Eric grinned wickedly at the kid. "Maybe you and your pokemon can learn something here today about consent..."

Celest slammed the Gallade into the pavement once more. A dark ball of energy appeared in front of her. She was about to throw the shadow ball when Eric laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop her onslaught against the Blade Pokemon.

"That's enough." He said. Celest released the Gallade from her grip. He was barely conscious still. He weakly got to his feet, then fell forward and blacked out. The trainer went to run over to his pokemon, but was instead grabbed by Celest in her psychic grasp. He was yanked over to her and she stood within a few inches of his face.

" **I AM NOT FOR HIS PLEASURE!** " She yelled at the kid in his head, pointing at the unconscious Gallade. Her voice seemed like it dripped with venom. His face turned pale at the Gardevoir's words. She tossed him away from her, making him land on his Gallade. The trainer panicked and returned his pokemon to his ball before jumping back up. He turned and ran away, looking back at Celest with unbridled fear.

As soon as he was out of sight, Celest calmed herself down. She let out a sigh as the blue glow around her body and in her eyes faded away. Eric reached over and pinched her cheek with a laugh, causing her to recoil and slap his hand away. She couldn't help but smile.

" **Hey stop it! I'm still pissed off!** " She said, though she knew that Eric always seemed to make her feel better. The soldier was grinning at her.

"I know, but you just look so cute when you're angry!" He said with a smug grin. She floated past him to the Champion's car, shoulder-checking Eric on the way.

He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He then looked over to Cynthia and Harmony.

"Well then. I guess to your place?" Cynthia said. Harmony nodded her head repeatedly.

" **Yes! I want food!** " She protested.

The group all laughed together and piled into the car to head to Eric's home.

 **One week later in Eric and Celest's new home in Celestic Town:**

"Your cooking was amazing as usual, Celest!" Cynthia said with a smile as she stood in the open doorway of Eric and Celest's new home to leave.

Celest nodded and smiled back. " **I'm glad you enjoyed it, Champion. Thank you for staying for dinner.** "

Eric agreed, then added. "You're always welcome back anytime, Cynthia! And thank you so much for helping us move! We really appreciate it!"

Cynthia nodded again, giving a quick hug to the soldier, the Gardevoir and the shiny Ralts. She then turned to leave, waving as she walked out the door.

"I'll see you all another time!" She said happily.

The family waved goodbye, then Eric closed the front door. He looked over at the clock and realized it was late. He yawned and stretched. Celest smiled at him, then looked over at the clock.

" **It's getting late.** " She said, looking over at Harmony. " **And it's time for bed for a certain Ralts.** "

Harmony groaned in protest as her mother lifted her up. She began carrying her towards her room. Eric walked on past and kissed her on the forehead. Harmony crossed her arms in front of her chest and pouted about going to bed.

"It's alright sweetheart." Eric said, ruffling her hair. "Tomorrow we can go to the park and play, okay?"

Harmony looked at him, then her amber-colored eyes seemingly lit up.

" **Okay daddy! You have to promise though!** " She said.

Eric laughed, "I promise. Now let your mother put you to bed."

The Ralts yawned and nodded. She rubbed her eyes. Celest looked over to Eric with a small smile.

" **I'm going to put her to bed. Go ahead and take a shower. I'll be waiting for you in our room so we can catch some sleep ourselves.** "

Eric nodded, kissing Celest on the cheek and making his way to their new bathroom. Once in the bathroom, he undressed and got the water running how he liked it. Once he was done showering, he quickly shaved and left the small room. He walked down the hallway with only a towel around him and went into his room. It was dark inside the room, but there was just enough light to see that Celest wasn't in bed. He paid no mind to it, going over to his dresser to retrieve something to sleep in. Celest, who was hiding elsewhere in the house, teleported into the room behind him and closed their bedroom door. A click could be heard as she locked the door and leaned against it. She used her psychic powers to turn on one of the lamps next to the bed.

Eric paused and turned around to see that she wasn't wearing her dress. She stood without a stitch covering her body and was looking at him with a lascivious glare. He grinned back at her, then continued looking for a pair of shorts to wear.

"What are you planning?" He asked with a chuckle.

She lowered herself until her feet met the plush carpet and physically walked over to him. Her hips had an exaggerated sway to them as she closed in on him. She grabbed at the towel and peeled it off of him. He blushed slightly.

"Hey now..." He quietly said with a grin, turning to face her. She tossed the towel behind her, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her in to kiss her. They made out for several moments, their tongues meeting as sexual desires filled both of them.

Celest pulled from the kiss, but kept her face inches from his. Her eyes examined his face as he did the same to her. He felt like he was being drawn in more by the pair of crimson rubies that stared at him.

"What are you thinking?" Eric asked. She smiled lewdly at him, lightly licking her lips.

She walked her fingers up his arm, watching her hand travel up to caress his face.

" **Well.** " She began, letting out a gentle purr. " **You see, I have this little problem.** "

"And what might that be, my darling?" Eric responded, reaching down to grab her behind. He gave it a playful squeeze, receiving a bigger grin from his girlfriend.

" **I have a little bit of 'stress' built up from being in heat. Oh poor little me!** " She theatrically placed the back of her hand against her forehead. She leaned away from him, pretending to pass out for a second. Eric laughed quietly at her.

He pulled her back up to him, then lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He supported her weight by holding her under her rear. He kissed her passionately on the lips as she gently held either side of his face. Both had lustful grins.

"Well then, I think I can help with that, my love." He said, his voice soft. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down. He then got on top of her and started kissing her neck as a bell-like moan left her mouth. One of his hands went to the red blade that was her heart; feeling its heat and the slight pulse of her heartbeat. His other hand slowly and sensually went down her body, eventually ending up between her legs. This caused her to let out another moan as she turned off the bedside light.

"Are you ready, love?" The soldier asked her.

" **Yes, Master. I want you.** " Celest replied, sweet and sultry.

 **Master?** Eric thought, slightly off-put. He paused and looked into her eyes. They were half-closed with a look of lust. Celest giggled slightly at Eric's reaction.

" **What's wrong, Master?** " She said with a purr and nuzzled into his neck. " **Don't like me calling you that?** "

Eric lightly chuckled, "It's just a little weird I guess. Why are you calling me that?"

She looked at him again and bit her bottom lip.

" **It's because you are my trainer. My Master.** " She softly replied, one of her hands stroking his cheek as she could see him blush even in the dark.

He brought a hand and cupped the side of her face with it. She cuddled into it, closing her eyes. He then responded.

"Yeah, but...calling me your master is putting me above you. It's like saying that I'm superior."

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"I am not superior to you. You are my equal. My other half. Nothing less."

She reopened her eyes and smiled greatly at those words. Her heart seemed to heat up more at the sounds of his voice. Eric continued kissing her neck and chest, occasionally kissing her heart. Celest ran her hands through his hair and rubbed her legs together in anticipation. They shared another kiss on the lips as he entered her in one quick motion, making her gasp. He smiled and moved inside of her while picking up speed. The bell-like moans continued escaping her mouth, then she playfully pushed him off of her and rolled on top. She reached down and had him re-enter her. She moved her hips into his with the both of them feeling nothing but love for the other. The two continued to make love for awhile longer. When it was over, she collapsed onto him, out of breath.

Eric wrapped his arms around her lovingly. He kissed the top of her head with a warm smile. The two were happy to be in each other's presence.

"Goodnight Celestial. I love you." Eric said softly.

" **Goodnight my love.** " Celest replied, closing her eyes.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms, ready for tomorrow and a new day.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter as usual and thank you for reading! I wanted to explain just real quick as to why Celest's physical sounds is like a bell, since my beta-reader had asked me about it. The bell-like sound is the representation of her physical voice since they can't speak English vocally and it's not limited to a sexual thing. Whenever she would talk to another pokemon a bell-like sound would be what humans hear. I got the idea from their in-game cry, since to me it sounds kinda like a digital bell being rung; so I went with that instead of the usual anime deal where they speak using only their name. I just kinda prefer the more animal-like sounds that pokemon make in the games and in the Pokemon Origins series on YouTube vs the normal anime. I hope some of you agree and continue to enjoy the story. I'll see you next week! Peace!**


	18. Reunion

**Hey everyone! Welcome to Chapter 18! I don't have anything to really say, so I won't keep you!** **Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon. Alright, on to the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Reunion**

It had been just over a year since Eric was released from custody and the public found out about his relationship with Celest. It had sometimes been a difficult road to travel down, but they both were happy to have each other. They still couldn't show their affection in public since their love was still banned in the Sinnoh Region. There were many who knew about their feelings towards each other, and some have outwardly shown their support while most simply seemed to ignore it. That within itself was fine with the two. A few would give Eric and Celest dirty glances or looks when they were out and about, and the two lovers learned to ignore them. Since moving to Celestic Town, the place of Eric's childhood in the region, they seemed to be happier. It was a smaller town, and the people there seemed more open-minded. It was a place where the two could even do something as simple as hold hands without many bystanders batting an eye. Of course though, even then they avoided any displays of affection around law enforcement, not wanting a repeat of what happened.

But all of that was in the back of their minds, as something else dominated their thoughts. It had come to the time of the year that most everyone eagerly awaited. It was time for the annual Pokemon League Conference. Trainers of every age from all around Sinnoh who had collected eight badges were allowed to enter. A few days ago the torch was lit and indicated the beginning of the competitions. Audiences across the region watched in awe as the dozens of trainers and their pokemon battled each other to decide who would be moving on to the preliminary rounds. From there, the remaining sixteen trainers will compete in a single elimination tournament until there is one left. That single trainer will then be allowed to face the Elite Four; then Cynthia herself for the title of Champion, if they succeed.

 **Eric vs. Maylene:**

The Machoke, and Maylene's last pokemon, struggled to stand, yet collapsed after being hit hard by Celest's moon blast. The crowd went into a cheer as the referee went over to the Superpower Pokemon. After seeing it was unconscious, he called the match.

"Machoke is unable to continue. The winner, and one going on to the preliminary rounds is Eric and his Gardevoir!" The referee yelled into the microphone.

Confetti burst into the air as the crowd exploded even louder with their cheers. Everyone was standing as they chanted Eric and Celest's names and waved handmade signs showing their support. Eric waved to the crowd as Celest bowed theatrically. The defeated Maylene approached her pokemon as he was regaining consciousness. He looked over at his trainer and seemed saddened at losing. She patted his head and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry Machoke, I'm proud of you. You did your best, and that's all I can ask for." She said, returning him to his ball.

Once she was done with that, she stood up and walked over to Eric. She reached her hand out. He looked at it for a moment, then accepted the handshake with a grin.

"Good job soldier." Maylene said, looking up at him. "It looks like I am being forced to admit defeat."

Eric smiled warmly at the young gym leader. "We both did our best. Your pokemon did very well out there. It was an honor."

Maylene grinned back at him.

"You know, I remember when I first met you. I just knew somehow we would meet again. I guess it serves me right for trying to compete instead of being just a gym leader."

Eric chuckled, "Don't worry about it. You're a fantastic trainer and a great gym leader. You should be proud."

The two trainers released from their handshake and faced the crowd. Both trainers threw their hands into the air and bowed as the crowd went into a roar once more. Then they both turned and started to leave the battlefield as construction crews rushed out to repair the damage done to the field. As they walked into the tunnel leading back to the locker rooms, Celest reached over and grabbed Eric's hand to hold it, not caring if anyone saw. As the mates walked, the announcer came over the loudspeakers.

"That was a magnificent battle! Congratulations to Eric Hahn, who will be moving on to the preliminary rounds! We're going to take a short break, then we will come right back with the next match!"

Eric and Celest walked down the tunnels, passing by their locker room on the way to the stadium's pokemon infirmary. The couple walked through the automatic doors and into the polished and clean infirmary. Nurse Joy was standing behind the front counter and greeted Eric with a smile.

"Congratulations on your victory, Eric!" Nurse Joy commented. She then looked over at Celest. "And congrats to you as well. You were amazing out there!"

Celest smiled back at the nurse and nodded gratefully. Eric placed his pokeballs on the counter, to which Nurse Joy quickly swept them up and placed them in the healing machine. She then turned back to the Gardevoir and glanced her over.

"What about you? Do you need healing?" She asked the pokemon.

Celest smiled again and shook her head. Eric looked over at his girlfriend, then back to Joy.

"She says she's fine. Nothing a little bit of rest can't fix." The soldier said. "Besides, our next battle won't be until tomorrow. I'm sure she'll be in top shape by then."

Nurse Joy glanced from the Gardevoir to Eric. She smiled and chuckled to herself and nodded. "Well okay then. Just promise to take it easy until then."

Celest nodded once more. A beep was then heard behind Joy, the healing machine was finished. Nurse Joy collected the pokeballs and handed them back to Eric.

"Here you go!" She exclaimed, she then glanced down at the three pokeballs, then back to Eric. "Now that I think about it though, aren't you a little short on pokemon for the Conference?"

The soldier shrugged, clipping his pokeballs to his belt. He then pulled at his camouflage jacket to readjust it. It was same old and faded jacket he wore the day he saved Celest. The sleeves have since then been cut off to make it short-sleeved, but his name tape was still stitched to its front.

"Nah, I don't think so at least. Cynthia made an exception for me so I could compete." He said, tapping his fingers on the counter. "I know you're supposed to have six pokemon, but I'm over trying to capture anymore."

He then placed one of his hands on Celest's shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. A slight blush rose to her cheeks.

"...And besides, my four pokemon are worth more than of any of the competition." He concluded, steaming with confidence.

Nurse Joy giggled to herself, keeping the same friendly smile she always has.

"Well it certainly looks like it! You already defeated plenty of trainers to get here." She said.

Eric and Celest both nodded, then turned to head back to their locker room. The two waved to Nurse Joy as they walked away.

"We're going to head back to the locker room to relax, we'll be seeing you later Nurse Joy! Thanks again!" Eric called. Nurse Joy waved back to them, then the couple was out the doors.

After several moments of walking, Eric and Celest made it back to the locker room. Eric unlocked the heavy steel door and Celest immediately floated past him and into the room. The space was less of an actual locker room and more of just a relaxation area for trainers and their pokemon to lounge around in between matches. He selected a standard room since he didn't have any water pokemon or the like, and he paused to release his pokemon from their pokeballs to allow them to stretch and relax for the day. Arcanine, Raichu and Garchomp all appeared in hazes of light and immediately looked to Eric. He waved them off with a smile.

"Go stretch, lay around. Whatever you want to do as long as it's in here." He said. The three pokemon all responded happily, then went straight to laying around.

The soldier chuckled at them, then turned to Celest. She was standing two meters away from him and looked at him with her usual cute smile. Her hands were clasped in front of her.

"You wanna go join them?" Eric asked sarcastically. Celest rolled her eyes.

" **I'd rather us go relax on the couch together and watch the next battle.** " She replied, sticking out her tongue.

Eric chuckled again, walking over to the couch and grabbing the remote. He turned on the TV. There was still a few minutes until the next match. The couple went to go sit together when a knock was heard at the door.

"Yep?" Eric asked, not looking towards the entrance to their room.

"It's Cynthia!" A voice called through the steel door. Eric tapped a button on the end table next to the couch, and the door unlocked. A second passed, and Cynthia entered. She stood in the open doorway and grinned at Eric and Celest.

"Well look who made it to the preliminaries?" She said, leaning in the doorway. "Maybe you have a shot at facing me."

"I'm sure it's more than a shot, more like a certainty I think." Eric replied, looking over at her and scratching his chin with a grin.

Cynthia chuckled, then stepped into the room, leaving the door open behind her.

"I can't be away from my area for long. The next match will be starting soon and I have to be at my spot. TV appearances and all." She said, then glancing behind her for a moment. "I just wanted to swing by real quick so that a certain two of my pokemon could see a certain one of yours. They've missed him you know?"

About that time, Cynthia's Garchomp poked her head around the door frame to look into the room. She let out an excited roar when she saw Eric's Garchomp, who was lying on the floor at the other side of the room. Hearing his mate's call, Garchomp perked up. He jumped to his feet and quickly crossed the room as his mate did the same. The two met half way and made what sounded like a deeper purring as the two nuzzled each other happily. The light patting sounds of small claws could then be heard outside the room, and within seconds a Gible ran through the doorway and quickly over to his parents. The Gible jumped onto his father, embracing him happily.

Celest 'aww'd' at the sight, happy to see the dragon family reunited again. The three dragons held each other for a few moments. The Gardevoir then remembered something. She perked up and looked back to the Champion.

" **Hey Cynthia, where's Harmony?** " She asked.

At that moment, Harmony appeared in front of Celest. It was an attempt to jump-scare her mom, but it didn't work. As soon as she popped up to say 'boo', Celest grabbed her and starting tickling her. Harmony tried fighting back against her mom, but couldn't control her laughing. Eventually Celest let go, and Harmony floated in front of her parents. Her arms crossed as she playfully pouted. The two humans and the Gardevoir all shared a laugh.

" **No fair! You cheated!** " Harmony said with a faked, grumpy look on her face.

Celest smiled at the shiny Kirlia.

" **You can't sneak up on me dear, I can sense you before you complete your teleportation.** " She replied, grabbing Harmony into a hug. Eric grinned at the two from the other end of the couch.

"She's right sweetpea, but I'm proud that you're getting better at using your new powers." He said. She smiled proudly back at him. "You've already gotten much stronger since you evolved."

Harmony nodded, " **Yes! And congrats Mom! You really beat up that girl's pokemon!** "

Everyone laughed again, and Eric spoke up.

"Well yes, but remember, battling isn't about 'beating up anyone'. It's about the fun and becoming much stronger than you started off as."

The Kirlia nodded again at her father, " **I know, Daddy...but Mom still whooped them!** "

Cynthia chuckled to herself, then checked the time. The next battle was set to start any second.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed, "I have to be heading back!" She pointed to her Garchomp and the little Gible. "Mind if those two stay here for a bit? I'm sure your Garchomp won't mind, right?"

Eric glanced over at the dragon family. They were all playing together in the center of the large room. He flashed a smile and looked back to the Champion, waving her off.

"Nah, that's fine with me." He said.

Cynthia smiled warmly, then spun on her heels and left the room. The door closed and locked behind her. Eric and Celest watched the door for another moment, then looked back at each other.

"Well." Eric said, earning a giggle from Celest. "I'm going to go get us a few drinks, let me know when the battle starts."

He stood up and left the room, heading into the small kitchen nestled off to the side of the locker room. Celest watched Eric leave, a small smile on her face the entire time. Once he was out of sight, she turned back to the TV and watched the short commercials that were currently airing. Once they were over, a quick replay was displayed on the screen, showing the battle between Eric and Maylene. It showed each pokemon that was being knocked out, and finishing with her hitting Maylene's Machoke with a powerful moon blast.

Harmony watched the replays, her eyes widening. The Kirlia was practically bouncing with excitement as she watched her parents win the fight. When the replay showed the referee declare Eric and Celest the winners, she leaped into the air with both fists up and yelled in celebration. Celest giggled at her daughter, then grabbed her in mid air and gently pulled her back to the couch.

 _Be careful, don't get too excited._ The mother said to her daughter. _We still have many more battles ahead of us._

Harmony still had her hands balled into fists, shaking them in front of her. _Yes! But you and Daddy got this! There's no way you can lose!_

Celest smiled at her, then turned back to the TV as the next battle was getting ready to start. The camera was panning across the crowd as they cheered for the next two trainers that were walking out onto the field. The camera then cut to the first trainer, a young man about Eric's age. He was waving at the crowd as they chanted his name. The announcer could be heard calling his name out as he was introduced. The camera then cut to the next trainer, and the pokemon floating alongside him. A weird pang of a feeling hit Celest, and she didn't seem to know why.

The announcer called out the trainer's name, who was a boy that looked to be about fourteen years old. He had black hair that was well-groomed and seemed like the handsome type for his age.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer exclaimed, "And now, introducing the opponent! All the way from the Hoenn Region and also the Champion of the Hoenn Pokemon League, Ryan! With him is is main pokemon, Sophia!"

The crowd exploded at Ryan's introduction. It was an honor for the Champion of the Hoenn League to be here competing as well, but Celest wasn't looking at him. She was looking at the Psychic/Fairy-dual Type that was with him. It was a Gardevoir. She was floating alongside Ryan and waving to the crowd as they made their way to their spot. Celest couldn't break her eyes off of her. She had seen other Gardevoir in the past few years of being with Eric, but none have ever given her a feeling like this before. She examined every detail of the strange Gardevoir that she could through the TV screen, trying to place what feeling she was having. Then it hit her. The sudden realization slammed into her like a tidal wave, followed by extreme emotions. She covered her mouth with her hand in shock. She knew exactly who that Gardevoir was. The one she had searched for in the past but had almost given up on finding. The one she had always hoped was in good care. She felt in her heart that it was exactly who she thought it was. It was her sister.

Eric had just reentered the room with several glasses of water when Celest jumped up from the couch. A yelp of surprise left her mouth as she shot straight for the door.

"Celest, what's wrong?!" Eric asked, suddenly worried. Celest paused for just a second to look back at him. She had a hint of tears in her eyes, but was smiling slightly.

" **That's her Eric, on the TV.** " She said, pointing at the screen. Eric looked over and saw what she was referring to. He seemed confused at first, but then his face lit up with realization. " **That's my sister. I have to go see her.** "

Before Eric could respond, she was out the door. He chuckled to himself and sat down, handing a glass of water to Harmony. She thanked her dad and sipped on the ice water.

 **Meanwhile:**

Celest floated down the hallways as fast as she could. She was trying to hold back all of her emotions, trying to hold her tears back. She reached the tunnel's exit that opened up to the battlefield and served as the trainer's entrances to the arena. Less than thirty meters away from her was her sister and her trainer, Ryan. Celest leaned against the tunnel opening and watched them battle.

Ryan had another pokemon of his in battle, with Celest's sister hovering next to him. The crowd was chanting and cheering as the two pokeman that were battling hit each other, but Celest could only watch her sister and Ryan.

The Gardevoir, Sophia, stopped floating after a few moments. She lowered herself to the ground until her feet made contact with the dirt floor and placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder. She had looked at him for a second with a small smile, with Ryan smiling back with a nod. They were clearly communicating telepathically and strategizing the battle together.

After a second, Sophia's hand slid off his shoulder and gently brushed against Ryan's hand. It looked intentional to Celest. A quick thought entered her head about the two, but she didn't have enough to go off of. She simply continued to watch them as the battle went on.

The crowd's roar had gotten louder as the battle continued. Several of Ryan's pokemon and his opponent's had been defeated. Ryan and Sophia gave each other a quick glance as Ryan returned his knocked-out Mienshao to its pokeball. Then, with the usual grace befitting of their kind, Sophia floated onto the battlefield.

"Ryan has decided to send out his Gardevoir to battle his opponent's Arbok!" The announcer called out.

Celest watched the Gardevoir make short work of the Cobra Pokemon, causing the opponent to send out a Gengar. The Shadow Pokemon seemed more powerful than the usual of its kind, and it hit Sophia with night shade. The dark waves of energy shot out of the ghost's eyes and sent Sophia flying across the arena in a large explosion of dust. Celest gasped and watched her sister soar through the air. She was about to land hard onto the dirt, but was then suddenly caught by Ryan. He had run after her and managed to catch her, though he was sent toppling onto his back. The crowd watched in anticipation to see if they would continue.

The dust was still obscuring most of everyone's views, but Celest could see the two perfectly. She watched Ryan gingerly hold the Gardevoir, stroking her hair as she looked up at him. She couldn't exactly hear it, but she could see that Ryan was saying something to Sophia. She figured that he wanted her to get out of the fight, but Sophia shook her head. The way they looked at each other, and the way he stroked her hair and held her, the feeling Celest had earlier came back. Then it was confirmed in an instant. Though the dust still hid the two from view of the crowd, Celest saw Ryan and Sophia bring their faces together in a quick kiss on the lips. Sophia gently brushed her fingers against Ryan's cheek with a smile, then stood back up. The battle then went on.

Celest couldn't help but smile greatly to herself. She also couldn't be happier. She knew in her heart that Sophia was her sister, and it brought joy to her heart that her sister's trainer was also her mate as well. The battle was still going strong when Eric and Harmony appeared at Celest's side. She looked over at Eric for a second, then back to the couple on the field.

" **They're in love, Eric.** " She said joyfully.

"Huh?" He asked, looking at her for a second.

She nodded towards Ryan and Sophia. " **Those two. They're in love. I saw them kiss after she got hit.** "

Eric looked back at the battle, then hooked his arm with hers. She looked at him with a joyous smile. He smiled back.

"That's awesome, love." He said, motioning back towards their locker room. "How about we head to our room for now? We'll let this battle finish out and give them a little time to rest. Maybe then we'll go see if we can say hi."

Celest smile widened, then she nodded. They looked once more at Sophia and Ryan, then left to head back to the locker room.

 **Later:**

Eric nodded to the security guards that were standing on either side of the door of Ryan's locker room. The guards nodded back and let him through. Sometimes being seen as a sort of 'hero' had its advantages. It was time to introduce himself to the boy and his Gardevoir.

He walked into the room. It was set up in much the same manner as the other locker rooms. The large TV was on, showing construction crews were hard at work getting it ready for the next match. Just like Eric's own room, there were chairs and a couch arranged around the area. In those chairs sat a number of kids all primarily in their teens. The Gardevoir was there too. She sat in a chair while a Riolu rested in her lap. He felt a small sense of awkwardness as he closed the door behind him, making a loud click as it latched shut. He sighed and smiled at the kids as they turned and looked at him. One of them spoke up, a dark-skinned girl with purple hair.

"Um...who are you?" she asked. Eric gave a small bow.

"My name is Eric Hahn. I am a veteran of the Sinnoh Defense Force. I am looking for Ryan." Eric replied, not losing his smile.

"Oh, I've heard of you. I heard that several years ago you and your pokemon fought a criminal organization on Iron Island." Said another girl as she stood up, "I'm May, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well." Eric replied. He then added with a chuckle. "Is that all you know of me?"

May cocked her head to the side for a split second. "Yeah, that's it. I mean I heard you fought the same criminals again later, but that's all I think."

Eric nodded with a smile. **So they don't know about Celest and me?** The black haired boy, Ryan, approached him. The Gardevoir stood as well, still holding the Riolu. The boy held out his hand.

"I'm who you're looking for. I'm Ryan." Ryan said. Eric shook his hand tightly. The teenager then gave Eric as questioning look. "Why are you looking for me?"

Eric glanced around the room, his eyes settled on the Gardevoir for a moment. There was no doubt about her relations to Celest; the family resemblance was strong. He looked back at Ryan.

"I'm a fellow competitor. I watched your previous battle and was impressed by how you handled everything." Eric said, "So...I just thought I'd swing by to say hello to the young Champion of Hoenn and wish you good luck."

Ryan looked shocked for a moment, then grinned.

"Oh, I see." Ryan responded, blinking once. "Well, thank you and I wish you luck as well."

"Indeed." Eric said, looking again to the Gardevoir, "And you must be Ryan's Gardevoir. Sophia, yes?"

Sophia smiled and nodded at the newcomer. " **Yes, I am Sophia. I have been with Ryan for quite awhile.** "

"Of course" Eric responded warmly. "I watched you battle in that last fight. You are definitely a very strong pokemon."

Sophia blushed slightly at the compliment, " **Thank you, I have Ryan to thank as well though. He's been very good to me.** "

Ryan blushed at that comment. It was slight, but there. The boy looked at Sophia. The way he looked at his Gardevoir confirmed what Celest had told him. She was right about it. Eric started small talk with Ryan and the others. Sophia continued to hold her Riolu as she turned and made her way to the couch. Eric glanced at her again and finally decided to bring her relationship with Ryan up. He wanted to mess with them for a bit.

"So, Ryan. After watching you and Sophia battle in competition, you and her must have a strong bond." He stated, a slight grin on his face.

Ryan looked back at Sophia as she stared at the TV. She was petting the Riolu in her arms.

Ryan responded with a smile, "Yeah, we've been by each other's sides a long time."

Eric chuckled, then lost his smile. He put on a serious face.

"The way you two act around each other though...something seems odd about it." He said.

Ryan looked at him with a quizzical expression. Slight worry pierced his voice. "What do you mean?"

Eric replied with the most serious tone he could put on. "You know what I mean. You two act more like a couple...you both do realize that human/pokemon relationships are illegal in the league...don't you?"

The color drained from Ryan's face, his pupils narrowed from shock. Sophia froze in place, then began to tremble slightly. She put the Riolu down gently and stood.

"I-uh, I-I don't k-know what you're talking about..." Ryan said, clearly worried. Eric took a step closer. He was having a bit of mean fun messing with them so far, but he also wanted to test their feelings towards each other.

"Don't play that game Ryan. I know a couple when I see one. You do realize you can get in a lot of trouble if authorities were to find out about your relationship with your Gardevoir?" Eric said, keeping his tone serious.

Ryan began to shake, Eric could tell he was scared. Sophia floated over and got between Eric an Ryan. " **Fine! We do love each other! And there's nothing that can change that!** "

Her eyes began to glow slightly with a bluish hue. Eric could tell she was scared of losing Ryan.

"Please sir, don't tell anyone! Please!" Ryan begged, stepping around to Sophia's side.

"If you plan on turning them in, then you'll have to deal with us!" May yelled from across the room. The other kids began yelling as well. Eric could see they all cared for Ryan and Sophia.

" **Please don't say anything, we just want to be with each other no differently than anyone else.** " Sophia stated to Eric. Her voice was soft.

The room went silent. Eric looked around at everyone for a few seconds. They all gave angered looks at him. He felt his heart light up with joy. He then looked back at Ryan and Sophia.

"You two really do love each other don't you?" Eric asked. Inside, he was happy for them both.

"Yes sir, with all my heart!" Ryan said, taking Sophia's hand and squeezing it.

Eric smiled again, then began laughing. The kids seemed confused.

"What's so funny?" May demanded.

About that time the door flew open, startling everyone. Celest entered the room, slamming the door behind her using her psychic powers. She quickly floated up to Eric and smacked him. The kids all gasped. It still didn't stop him from laughing.

" **Eric, you jerk! You scared them half to death! I told you not to mess with them like that!** " She yelled at him.

Eric rubbed his cheek where she smacked him. He still had half a grin. "It was only a joke, Celest. You think I'd actually turn them in?"

Celest huffed, then turned to Ryan and Sophia. " **Ignore my boyfriend. He likes to mess with people and goes too far sometimes.** "

Everyone was stunned. Ryan spoke, pointing to Celest and Eric. "Your boyfriend? You mean you and Eric are?..."

Celest nodded, taking hold of Eric's hand. " **Yes, he's my mate. I love him dearly...though sometimes he can run my nerves.** "

Ryan nodded. "So he was just messing with us then." He let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good."

"Don't worry Ryan, your secret is safe with us." Eric said. "Though soon, I don't think we'll need to hide our love any more. People are starting to come around to accepting couples like us. Maybe one day it won't be illegal anymore. Until then, you and Sophia have our support."

Celest linked arms with Eric and kissed him on the cheek. Sophia giggled and did the same to Ryan.

"And I will be there to support you both too! The whole world will know it's okay and that you guys are no different than any other couple!" May exclaimed.

Eric smiled to the kids, he could sense they really supported Ryan and Sophia. After a moment, Eric sighed and patted Celest on the shoulder. She looked at him with her usual gorgeous red eyes. They glimmered with joy.

"Well...I think you have some introductions and explaining to do with Sophia there." Eric said to Celest.

Celest's face grew serious as she nodded. Her eyes sparkled with joy of finally getting to meet Sophia. She approached her, then took Sophia's hands in her own.

" **Sophia, there's so much we need to talk about...I have been looking for you for so long. I'm so happy that you're okay and that I can finally meet you.** " Celest began, tears brimming in her eyes.

" **What do you mean?** " Sophia looked at her confused. Her face then softened as she started to feel what Celest was feeling. " **Wait...you...you can't be?...** "

Celest wiped away her tears, then said something that shocked the whole room. " **Sophia...I'm your sister.** "

Everyone in the room was silent. Sophia stared into the teary eyes of the Gardevoir in front of her. Her words rang through her head as a thousand emotions hit her. She thought about what Celest had just told her, and felt in her heart that she was right. She could feel their connection as family almost as if they never were separated.

"Sophia?" Ryan asked, taking a step closer. "Are you okay?"

Sophia nodded her head, not taking her eyes off of Celest. Tears filled her eyes as she gave a smile. She then pulled Celest into a hug; the two sisters held each other for several unbroken moments. Once they separated from their embrace, Sophia looked over at Ryan and responded.

" **I'm perfectly okay, Ryan...better even.** " She said, looking back at Celest. " **I have finally been reunited with family.** "

The moment had touched everyone's hearts. Everybody looked on with smiles. Sophia thought for a moment, then said to Celest.

" **My dear sister, I may not remember much from when I was just a Ralts, but I do remember you being taken away as an egg along with our parents.** " Sophia got quiet for a second, then took a deep breath. " **Our parents...please tell me they are safe.** "

Celest's gaze dropped to the floor. She felt sadness hit her, then shook her head slowly. Sophia's happiness turned to grief in that moment. She looked away for a second, fighting back a few tears as she recollected herself. Celest then looked back up at her.

" **I am sorry sis...they didn't make it...** " She said. Sophia embraced her once more, holding her tightly. Sophia then reached into Celest's mind, wanting to see her memories of what had happened to their parents. Celest felt her presence in her thoughts, but allowed her to see. Sophia replayed the memories, seeing everything that had happened to her mother and father. She also saw how Eric had done everything he could to save her mother and Celest. Once the memories were over, the two sisters were crying into each other's shoulders.

The two Gardevoir split from their hug again, and Sophia then went to Eric. She took his hands in hers and looked at him sincerely. He met her gaze. A single tear left his eye.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't do more..." He said quietly. His voice shook slightly with emotion.

Sophia shook her head, then gave him a quick hug.

" **No...you did everything you could.** " She said. " **And you managed to save my sister. I had assumed the worst and thought I lost everyone...but it brings happiness to my heart knowing that not only have you saved Celest, but had became a fantastic mate to her. Thank you.** "

Celest went over to Eric's side and hooked her arm with his. The two shared a smile and looked back at Ryan and Sophia. The soldier then nodded to the door.

"Hey, if you guys aren't doing anything this evening, how about we go get a bite to eat? It'd be my treat." He said, earning the grins of everyone in the room.

Ryan looked to his girlfriend, who nodded. He then looked back at Eric.

"Heck yeah, sounds good to us." Ryan said.

 **Later that night:**

Eric and Celest were laying in bed. The TV was on, but it was set to a low volume and neither were paying attention to it anyways. The Gardevoir cuddled into her soldier's side and smiled warmly with her eyes closed. Eric draped his arm around her and kept her pulled in. Harmony was across the room on her own bed, sound asleep.

" **I'm happy to have spent time with Sophia...I still can't believe I found her after all this time.** " Celest said. Her voice was warm and sounded angelic, the usual that Eric had loved.

"I'm happy as well, love." He said. "And there'll be plenty of more time to spend with her in the future now."

Celest nuzzled into his neck, saying with a purr. " **Of course, but for now I just want to lay here and be in your arms.** "

Eric chuckled quietly and wrapped his other arm around her. "As you wish, darling."

The couple laid in peace for uncounted minutes. They were both just about to fall under the spell of sleep when a series of loud noises could be heard somewhere outside the building. Celest perked up, listening to the noise. Eric listened as well. It sounded like firecrackers echoing in the distance, with the occasional rumble. Eric felt dread rise in his gut. Celest knew what those sounds were as well, as her ears dropped and her eyes expressed extreme worry.

" **Eric...is that?...** " She asked worriedly.

An explosion was heard, this time much closer. The TV blared an emergency broadcast. Harmony was jolted from her sleep by the blast, then spun to face the TV. The couple looked towards the screen as well.

The TV was blaring a loud, monotone sound and showed only a blue screen with the words 'Emergency Broadcast System'. A plain, almost robotic male voice then sounded out after a few seconds.

"This is the Sinnoh Emergency Broadcast System." The voice began. "Several confirmed terrorist attacks are being carried out across all major cities in the Sinnoh Region. A state of emergency has been declared. Law Enforcement are responding and the Defense Force is being activated. All citizens are advised to barricade your homes and stay indoors, preferably in a basement if available. Do not attempt to move about the streets. If your area is under attack, remain calm and evacuate to the nearest police checkpoint or put as much cover as possible between yourselves and any threats. This broadcast repeats."

The TV then blared the tone again, repeating the message after several seconds. Celest and Eric were now standing. Celest felt her heart rate increase significantly. She reached over and grabbed Eric's hand, squeezing it. He squeezed it back and looked at her. Her pupils shook as she met his gaze. Gunfire could still be heard in the distance, this time mixed in with police sirens.

" **Eric...what do we do?** " Celest asked. Even through her telepathy, Eric could hear her worry.

Eric swallowed, he glanced at Harmony. The shiny Kirlia watched her father with wide eyes. She seemed just as scared as her mother. He then nodded slightly, then looked back into Celest's eyes. He stroked her cheek gently.

"I'm going to take you to Cynthia." Eric said softly. "I'll take you and Harmony to her, and then I'm going to go meet up with the Defense Force. I'm going to go fight. It's my duty."

He started to walk towards the door, but was caught by Celest's powers. He froze in place, then sighed. He knew she didn't want him to go.

" **Eric, don't go...please. Stay with us.** " Celest begged. " **You don't have to go fight, stay here...** "

Eric shook his head. She released him from her psychic grip and floated around, putting herself between him and the door.

"Celest, I'm sorry. I have to go. I swore to defend the people of Sinnoh." He rested his hands on her shoulders. The soldier then leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'll be okay. I promised you that I would protect you, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."

Celest stared into his eyes for several moments. She felt like crying right there, but knew she wouldn't change his mind. She finally gave in. Her gaze dropped to the floor. She sighed and fought back her tears. Eric smiled at her.

"I'll be fine love." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Celest reached out and grabbed the old and worn out trainer's belt from the nightstand using her powers. She floated it towards them and grabbed it with her hands. She placed the leather belt around Eric's waist and buckled it. She then looked at one of the pokeballs. She grabbed it and released the Garchomp within it. The dragon appeared in a haze of light in the room. He looked around at the three in front of him, then rested his eyes on the Gardevoir.

 _Garchomp...Eric has to go fight for us one more time..._ She said, floating to the dragon and placing her hand on his snout, petting him. _Protect him for me okay?...Bring him back into my arms._

Garchomp nodded at Celest. His slit eyes focused on her as he replied.

 _I have always been there for him. Don't worry Gardevoir; I have never let him down. I will not let you down either._

The dragon smiled at Celest, who managed to return it as well. She then turned back to Eric and hugged him tight. Harmony floated over and joined in the embrace. The family held their hug for several moments, then heard a banging on the door.

Garchomp immediately jumped into an aggressive stance. Celest and Harmony both started glowing in a blue light. The door went silent for several seconds, then the banging came back. They all then heard a frantic voice yelling for them.

"Eric! Celest! Let me in, it's Ryan!" Ryan screamed from the other side of the door.

Eric quickly went to the door and unlocked it, allowing the fourteen year old in. He was sweating greatly and appeared to be on the verge of tears.

"Ryan, are you okay? What's wrong?" Eric quickly asked.

Ryan caught his breath, then his tears began flowing as he gestured towards the door.

"Sophia! They took her from me!" He wailed. "We tried to fight them off, but they used this weird machine to capture Sophia. When I tried to do something, they knocked me out. You have to help!"

Celest flew around Eric and up to Ryan. She started shaking at the possibility of who it was that took her.

" **Who was it Ryan...who took her?** " She asked, fearing the answer.

"There was this note next to me when I woke up..." Ryan replied.

Ryan retrieved a small note from his pocket and held it out. Eric grabbed it with a shaking hand, then opened it. Reading the note, Celest's fears were realized.

'It's time for the world to end. You want your precious lover back?...Meet me at Mt. Coronet. Bring the soldier and his Gardevoir with you.' The note read.

Eric was shaking in anger reading those words. He knew the note referred to him and Celest. His anger only rose when he saw the name at the bottom of the note.

It read: 'Mars'.


	19. End of the World

**It's Friday once again! I know I don't usually upload until the morning, but it IS Friday and I couldn't help it, so enjoy the slightly early update, lol! I want to welcome everyone to the next** **chapter of A Soldier and His Gardevoir! I feel many emotions as I type this. You know, I could hardly believe that I was to be uploading the nineteenth chapter today. It has been a heck of a ride so far and I want to thank all of you again! I won't ramble, though; I'll save it for later, lol. Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own Pokemon. With that out of the way, lets get to it. Enjoy! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: End of the World**

Eric and Celest were trying to get Ryan to calm down. They both knew how he was feeling. Celest knew all too well what could potentially happen to Sophia if she wasn't rescued quickly. Ryan was just starting to calm when Cynthia ran into the room with her Garchomp and Gible in tow.

"Oh thank goodness you guys are okay!" Cynthia said with a sigh of relief. Her Garchomp and the small Gible both ran over to Eric's dragon.

"Yeah, we're fine, but Ryan here had his Gardevoir taken from him by those Galactic fucks..." Eric said with a growl.

" **Cynthia, that Gardevoir is my sister, we have to go save her!** " Celest cried out.

Cynthia nodded, agreeing with what Celest said.

"Of course Celest. I'll do everything in my power to make sure she gets rescued." She said. The Champion then turned to Eric. "We have to go now. Ryan can come with us, but he'll have to stay out of the way. We are to meet with some of the squads in the Defense Force. We'll start planning immediately."

Eric agreed, but then asked. "What about the attacks outside? It's dangerous for all of us to be moving."

Just then, the gun fire outside faded away. The explosions stopped as well. Only the sounds of sirens from a large number of police and firefighter vehicles could be heard.

Cynthia went to the window and looked outside. Parts of the city were ablaze. Thousands of windows across the tall buildings were shattered out. A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned and gave Eric a serious look.

"It appears that they already got what they came for..." She said.

" **Then there's no time to waste. The note said they're going to Mt. Coronet. What would they want there?** " Celest asked.

Cynthia looked at Celest. Her eyes widened with shock. She quickly walked past everyone and out the door. Eric and the others all looked at each other quizzically.

"We don't have time." Cynthia said quickly. "A few days ago, the Lake Guardians disappeared without a trace. I suspected that Galactic had something to do with it, but I had no solid evidence. I know now though."

Eric shook his head and took a step closer to the Champion.

"What is it? What are they planning?"

She glanced at him once more, then started walking down the hall to leave.

"They're going to capture Palkia and Dialga. They'll destroy the world with those pokemon in their control." She called out.

 **Later:**

Eric and Celest fought their way through dozens of Galactic grunts on the way up Mt. Coronet. They had moved ahead of the Defense Force and Cynthia. Ryan and Harmony had been ordered to stay behind as well along with them, it was safer that way. The mates had made it to a small flat clearing only a hundred meters from the peak. Mars stood in their way now. Along with her was Sophia, who had been forced into the same kind of armor that Celest was forced to wear. Seeing her sister under the same control she had been through both saddened and angered Celest. She was ready to do anything to save her sister, but now she was going to have to fight her. There was no other way, not while the armor destroyed Sophia's free will.

Celest and the imprisoned Sophia stared each other down. Celest gritted her teeth and fought back her emotions. She didn't want to fight her sister, but knew she had no choice as long as Sophia was under the control of that infernal armor. She stared into the black visor covering her sister's face. Mars stood a short distance behind Sophia, grinning.

"This is where the world ends and a new one begins!" Mars yelled, holding her arms out wide. "A new world! One controlled by Team Galactic!"

The wind blew dust in small whirlwinds, causing everyone there to shield their eyes with the exception of Sophia. Eric was behind Celest. He glanced at his mate, then back to Mars. He felt a sneer spread across his face. His garchomp took a few steps forward and got beside Celest, letting out a low growl.

"Celest, keep yourself focused!" He called out to her. "We have to concentrate on saving your sister!"

The Gardevoir nodded, not taking her eyes off of Sophia.

 _Sophia...please keep fighting it._ She said to her. Sophia moved, seemingly as if she was trying to reach up to her helmet. Mars caught this and pressed a button on her remote, causing an electrical pulse to surge through the imprisoned Gardevoir. She screamed, dropping to her knees momentarily as the armor quickly took over again.

Eric and Celest both winced seeing her get hurt, but they didn't lose focus. Mars then threw her hand out.

"Use shadow ball!" She ordered.

Sophia stood and brought her hands together to charge a shadow ball, but then a large pokemon slammed into her at high speeds. She flew back and smashed into a boulder protruding out of the ground. In the spot where she was standing only a second earlier, was Cynthia's Garchomp. The dragon hit Sophia with giga impact, and as a result paused for a moment to regather her strength. The Champion of Sinnoh slowly walked up to be next to Eric, and flashed him a smile.

"Sorry it took me so long. Those grunts held me up for a little longer than I thought." She said with a confident grin.

Eric nodded at her, then turned his attention back to Mars. The Galactic Commander seemed enraged by the Champion's interference. She pressed a button on her remote, causing Sophia to teleport off the rock. She appeared next to Mars for a split second, then disappeared again.

The pair of Garchomps, Celest, Eric and Cynthia glanced around to see where Sophia went. Then Eric sensed it. He looked up and saw Sophia several dozen meters above Cynthia's Garchomp, charging a moon blast.

"Cynthia! Your Garchomp!" He yelled to the Champion, pointing up at Sophia.

Cynthia looked up as well. She yelled for her dragon to move, yet nothing could be done because of the energy her Garchomp expended using giga impact. Sophia fired the powerful moon blast straight down. The pink orb of energy trailed its way to the female Garchomp...only for Eric's dragon to shove her out of the way and take the hit instead.

Eric and Celest were both shocked by Garchomp's selflessness towards her. Cynthia covered her mouth in shock and her eyes widened. Mars laughed from her spot.

"Worthless. Well that takes care of one dragon." She chuckled to herself. She then became shocked as well as the smoke cleared. There was crater where the moon blast hit, but in its center still stood Eric's Garchomp. He seemed shaken and weak from the hit, but still let out a roar and glared daggers at Mars. Eric took his chance, he threw his hand out.

"Celest, use psychic on Sophia! Garchomp, use dragon rage on Mars!" He yelled, throwing the rules out the window and ordering an attack on his enemy.

Celest ripped stone from the ground and chucked it at her sister. Garchomp opened his mouth, unleashing a blue orb of burning energy right at Mars. Sophia teleported, making the rocks harmlessly fly through where she just was. She reappeared in front of Mars, then used protect to shield both of them. The dragon rage hit the psychic force field, doing no damage.

"I have no more time for this!" Mars screamed. She reached down to her belt and hit a panic button, sending a call for reinforcements. She then pressed a button on the remote, causing Sophia to scream in agony as she was forced to grab both Garchomps with psychic. She slammed the dragons into the ground, then tossed them against the rocks.

Gunfire then filled the air as a squad of Team Galactic grunts came rushing down a mountain path from the top. Eric and Cynthia rushed into cover. Celest quickly went to Garchomp's side and protected herself and him with protect. Bullets reflected off the protective field. Garchomp still seemed slightly dazed. He shook his head to refocus himself.

 _You still good?_ Celest asked.

 _Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me._ Garchomp replied.

Celest nodded at him, then turned to see Sophia only a mere five meters from them. She charged another moon blast, throwing it and smashing straight through the protective barrier. Celest was sent to the ground. The sudden break of her protect made her head pound. Garchomp stood his ground, then charged forward in an attempt to crunch down on Sophia and incapacitate her. Unfortunately, the enslaved Gardevoir teleported again, dodging the attack.

Garchomp was angry at the miss, but immediately had to move to avoid getting shot. The grunts kept their fire up from their cover from the side. Eric cursed to himself for not having a weapon. He reached down and pulled his two other pokeballs from his belt, tossing them out.

"Arcanine! Raichu! You're both up! Use flamethrower and thunderbolt, pin those grunts down!" He yelled.

The electric mouse and blazing beast were released from their pokeballs and jumped straight into action. Arcanine unleashed hellfire as he ran around the wall of bullets. Raichu bravely sprinted under the flying lethal lead and rushed up the mountain side to get around the grunts' cover. She then jumped into the air, unleashing a torrent of lightning down upon them. The grunts were set ablaze or electrocuted as they retreated a short distance to regroup. Mars cursed as she knew she had to fall back as well. She hit another button on Sophia's remote.

The armored Gardevoir groaned in pain and viciously attacked Cynthia's Garchomp further with psychic, and threw Eric's dragon as well when he tried to attack her again. She then teleported to dodge a shadow ball from Celest and this time appeared right in front of her. Celest was caught off guard, then received an electrified fist into the side of her head from her sister. Sophia then grabbed her by the neck with one hand. Celest immediately felt all of her psychic energy drain. She tried to teleport from her sister's grip, but couldn't. Mars let out a laugh.

"It's a new improvement to the armor." She yelled. "It can now disable psychic powers in a short radius around it."

"Celest fight back! Get away from her!" Eric yelled. He started to become very worried.

Celest pushed at her sister to try to get her to let go, but it was of no use. Sophia groaned in pain, but held on tight. She then teleported them both to Mars. Then, Sophia laid her free hand on the Galactic Commander. The three then teleported away from the fight.

"Celest!" Eric called out. He panicked inside. Cynthia placed her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him.

"They must have went to the top of the mountain." She said. "We must hurry and catch up!"

Eric nodded, then looked over to where his other pokemon were. Arcanine and Raichu were still keeping up their attacks to pin down the grunts. It seemed to still be working. Garchomp had rose to his feet and rushed over to Cynthia's dragon. She was still on the ground and was struggling to get back up. Cynthia left her cover, pulling her pokeball out to return her Garchomp.

"Garchomp, return!" She ordered, but the pokeball's red light was disrupted by a hyper beam that hit only a few feet in front of the Champion. The blast knocked her to the ground and made her drop her pokeball.

Eric rushed from cover and grabbed Cynthia under her arms. He started pulling her back into cover as another squad of grunts descended towards them. They opened fire and already had a Magmortar deployed. The large Blast Pokemon lumbered down the mountain path towards them.

"Garchomp! Use dragon rage on Magmortar!" Eric ordered.

Garchomp stood over Cynthia's garchomp and released another orb of blue power from his mouth. It scored a direct hit, dropping the Blast Pokemon to the dirt. It laid there for a moment, then jumped back up and quickly fired its twin canons, sending fire towards the dragons. Garchomp knew he didn't have time to pull his mate away from the danger; instead he got in front of her and took the fiery hits. It blasted into an explosion, sending smoke and debris into the air. The force of the blast knocked Eric and Cynthia back. The soldier was dazed for a second, then recollected himself as the smoke cleared.

Eric was worried about his pokemon, but saw that Garchomp still somehow managed to keep on his feet. He could tell Garchomp was about out of the fight, but the dragon kept a determined look on his face. Cynthia scrambled up, grabbing her pokeball and returning her own pokemon before she seriously got hurt. **Come on...where's our help?** The Champion worriedly thought to herself.

Eric left his cover and looked towards his other two pokemon. Raichu was unleashing another thunderbolt at a group of grunts, electrifying them. Arcanine was taking cover behind a rock, then jumped over it and launched fire at another group, forcing them into their own cover. The soldier stood in the open, in a sudden daze. He looked over at Garchomp, who was barely standing. He then heard a grunt yell an order.

"Magmortar, kill the trainer! Fire blast!" The grunt yelled.

The pokemon rose its cannons and fired a blast of hellfire at Eric. He braced for the hit, but heard it explode in front of him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Garchomp in front of him. Burns covered the dragon as he dropped to the ground, then stumbled to get back up. Eric felt dread raise in him. He had to call back Garchomp back to his ball. He pulled out the dragon's pokeball, but was stopped when a bullet hit his prosthetic and he fell down. The pokeball rolled away from him and was quickly out of his reach. Cynthia rushed out and pulled Eric behind the nearest rock to use for cover.

Garchomp looked back at his master. He was safe from the attack. That's all that he cared about...his master being protected. He stumbled again, then regained his balance. The dragon knew he was hurt, but couldn't let it stop him. He looked back to the Magmortar and bared his teeth. He was going to defeat one last opponent. A tear left the dragon's eye as he put the remainder of his energy into one last giga impact.

Garchomp rushed forward in a blaze of light, smashing into the Magmortar and sending him flying back. The Blast Pokemon slammed into the mountain side and collapsed. It attempted to stand again, but fell forward and blacked out. Garchomp dropped to the ground as well right where the Magmortar was standing only a moment before. He knew he was now in the middle of a bunch of grunts, but knew it was the distraction his master needed, even if it wasn't the one he wanted. The grunts shouldered their rifles and aimed at Garchomp, who stood back up and growled angrily towards them. He didn't have the energy to attack again, but tried anyways. As soon as he moved, the grunts opened fire. Bullets ripped into the dragon, tearing away at him.

Eric's heart stopped seeing Garchomp being gunned down. His eyes immediately began collecting tears as he felt as if he could feel those bullets as well.

"Garchomp! NO!" Eric screamed. He tried running over to him, but Cynthia grabbed him and pulled him back into cover with tears in her eyes as well.

"Eric, there's nothing you can do! You're just going to get yourself killed as well!" She said, her voice breaking.

Garchomp whimpered in horrible pain, but defiantly stood his ground. He looked around at the grunts, who were all shocked at the dragon that seemingly refused to die. Garchomp then looked to the sky and gave one last defiant roar. It pierced the skies and was later said to have been heard for miles. Once his lungs were emptied, the dragon dropped to the ground one final time. He closed his eyes and awaited his end. Eric merely watched on, feeling powerless to stop anything.

Eric's other pokemon immediately stopped in their tracks, having just witnessed what happened. They both turned their attention to the grunts surrounding Garchomp, releasing a torrent of fire and electricity towards them. Eric slumped against the rock he was sitting behind, fighting as hard as he could to not break down. Every memory he had of Garchomp flooded his mind. From the day he got him, to just then; Eric thought of every moment he had with his dragon. He felt his heart nearly break.

Gunfire was then heard behind Eric and the Champion. They looked back and saw Mike, along with several squads of Defense Force soldiers charging from the mountain pass below. The grunts rushed for cover as bullets flew at them. Arcanine and Raichu aided the Defense Force with pushing the enemy back. After a few intense moments, the gunfire stopped. The coast was clear.

Eric rose from his cover, looking over to where his dragon laid. He ran over to Garchomp's side and dropped to his knees, lifting the dragon's head into his arms. Tears ran down Eric's face as he looked over Garchomp's wounds. He was far too gone to get any help now, and it was only a matter of time before he would pass away.

"Garchomp..." Eric said quietly. "I'm so sorry..."

Garchomp was looking into Eric's eyes. He slowly turned his head upwards and let out a pained groan. His breathing was very shallow. From behind Eric, Harmony and Ryan moved up the mountain pass. The shiny Kirlia saw her father holding the mortally wounded dragon and quickly rushed over. She placed her hands on Eric's shoulder and looked at Garchomp, trying not to cry herself.

" **Garchomp...** " Harmony said. " **...is he-?** "

She couldn't finish her sentence. Eric didn't respond, instead he closed his eyes and drooped his head. Garchomp made a few muffled noises towards Harmony. She covered her mouth with one hand and turned to her father. She translated Garchomp's words.

" **Daddy,** " Harmony began, " **Garchomp has one last wish...he wants to be named. He said he has been proud to carry his species' name, but wants an identity for himself before he dies.** "

The soldier started sobbing. He petted Garchomp on the head slowly and gently. He felt regret for not giving him a name earlier. Eric nodded, then looked back up, opening his eyes. He met Garchomp's gaze. The dragon had a look of intense pain, but stared directly into his master's eyes. After a moment, Eric spoke up.

"Steadfast." Eric quietly said, clearing his throat. "Your name is Steadfast. It means to have an unfaltering loyalty. You deserve it for being at my side all these years...thank you..."

Eric broke down again, bringing his forehead to Steadfast's. The dragon smiled behind the pain he felt. He was happy and proud to carry his new name, even if it was only for a short time. The soldier held his dying pokemon for several moments. The dragon's breathing became raspy as he started gasping for air. Eric held tightly onto him, trying to comfort him as he passed. He trembled as he sobbed, but refused to let go. Within seconds, though it felt like an hour, Steadfast's breathing stopped. The dragon closed his eyes for the last time, and his heart pumped no more.

Arcanine and Raichu went over to their master. Then they, along with Harmony, moved into Eric in a large embrace. Eric held on tight to his pokemon and they shed tears together. After a few moments, Cynthia went over and softly spoke to Eric.

"Eric...I'm so sorry," She said while fighting back her own tears," But we have to keep going...Celest and the world is in danger still."

The soldier looked up at Cynthia, then slowly nodded. He gently pushed his two other pokemon off of him, then stood up. He adjusted his prosthetic to make up for its damage, then could feel the stares of the soldiers around him. Looking around, he saw that the Defense Force soldiers were all looking at him. They all had looks of sympathy in their eyes. Mike then approached him.

"Eric...I'm sorry." He said.

Eric shook his head. He spoke in a dark tone. "It's not your fault. Galactic did this...and they will pay for everything they had done."

Harmony looked once more at Steadfast's body. Her tears were still flowing and she latched onto her father again. Eric tightly held the Kirlia, running his hand through her hair and quietly hushing her.

" **Daddy, why did they kill him? Why?** " She asked as she bawled into his chest. Eric rocked her back and forth for a second. He didn't know what to say.

Cynthia reached out and wiped a few of Harmony's tears away. "It'll be okay Harmony. He did what he had to do to protect your father. He gave himself up so your dad could survive."

Mike stood there for another moment. He then spoke to Eric.

"Eric, we don't have time. What are your orders?"

Eric looked around as he handed Harmony off to Cynthia. The Champion took the shiny Kirlia into her arms and held her tight to comfort her. More gunfire was then heard as another squad of grunts rushed them from the side. The soldiers took defensive positions and returned fire.

"I want you guys to push them back!" Eric yelled to Mike over the gunfire. "Secure this part of the mountain...I'm heading up to the peak."

Mike gave Eric a bewildered look. "You're not going by yourself, I'm going with you!"

Eric shook his head. "No Mike, this is my fight now! I'm ending this myself!"

Eric removed Arcanine's and Raichu's pokeballs from his belt. He didn't want to risk losing them as well. After forcing his pokemon back into their pokeballs, he handed them to Mike. He then took Mike's rifle out of his hands. The soldier then spun on his heels and ran up the mountain side before any of them could protest.

" **Daddy, wait!** " He could hear Harmony yell from behind him. Eric refused to stop. He refused to look back. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye as he knew he might not come back down that mountain.

 **Enough. It's time for Galactic to end.** Eric thought.

He ran up the mountain path upwards and upwards to its peak. Eventually, the path bath came to an end at a set of stairs. **This is it.** He thought. He slowly made his way up the stairs, hearing their leader Cyrus saying something. The wind had picked up greatly as he climbed the stairs, making hearing exactly what Cyrus was yelling difficult. After several moments of going up the ancient stone steps, Eric reached its crest.

In front of him was the ruins of an ancient temple. Its roof was gone a millennium ago. Only dusty and broken pillars remained behind. Large amounts of demolition charges were set up around the place, rigged to blow at the countdown of a timer that had yet to be started. In the center of the ruins was a large square with a triangle carved into the old stone floor. Spread evenly around the triangle were each of the Lake Guardians. They were all in a trance and glowing. Team Galactic's leader, Cyrus, stood in front of the old glyph facing it and had his arms spread wide. Behind him was his remaining two Commanders, Mars and Jupiter. Off on the side was Sophia, still holding Celest by her neck. Eric's mate still seemed weakened with her psychic powers diminished in her sister's grip. They all had their backs to Eric and didn't notice him. Two Galactic grunts stood only a few meters away from Eric, standing between him and Cyrus who was another several dozen meters away. Each grunt had a pokemon next to them. Each pokemon was a Skuntank and Glameow. Even they didn't seem to take notice to the soldier only a short distance behind them.

Cyrus spoke again, yelling as a pair of portals ripped open in the sky above the ruins. They glimmered like puddles of oil at their edges and reflected light like mirrors at whoever gazes into them.

"Come forth!" Cyrus called. "Dialga! Palkia!"

Two giant pokemon started to emerge from the portals. Their heads left the gateways to their dimensions first. Their eyes were black like the night itself, with deep red irises. One was dark blue, with the body like a sauropod. It had silvery, metallic-like portions. It's chest was covered with a metallic plate and had a diamond in its center. A large silver fin on its back and a crest on its head. The other was more theropod-like than its four-footed brother. Its body was a very light purple, almost white, in color. Its belly was a medium-dark gray and it had dark purple markings covering it. Both legendary pokemon seemed in great pain as thin red chains were bound around them, placing them under Galactic's control.

Eric watched in awe at the two giant pokemon, then shook himself out of it. He needed to stop Galactic, and stop them now. He shouldered his rifle, engaging the first grunt on his left before they saw him. Two shots rang out, and the grunt dropped with a scream. The other jumped, then spun around while charging his own rifle. It was too late for the grunt though, as Eric placed two more rounds in the grunt's chest and he dropped. The grunt clutched at his chest for several moments with gurgling sounds emanating from his mouth. The two pokemon next to the grunts jumped into a defensive stance, but then panicked and ran when they saw their trainers drop dead.

Cyrus and the others turned to see the soldier standing there, aiming directly at the Galactic leader.

"You're too late!" Cyrus yelled to Eric. "With these under my control, nobody can stop me!"

He gestured to the two legendary pokemon behind him.

"Dialga! The Master of Time!" He yelled. The Temporal Pokemon let out a roar.

"Palkia! The Master of Space and Dimensions!" The Spatial Pokemon also roared.

"Go forth! Destroy this world and create for me, a new galaxy!" Cyrus ordered.

The two members of the Creation Trio both tried to fight back against the red chains, but the chains tightened and forced them to comply. They both glowed brightly and unleashed a terrible wave of energy, causing the earth to shake. The pillars that still stood after all these thousands of years cracked and buckled at the power. The floor of the ruins split and cracked as the sky turned a dark color. The energy caught Eric off-guard, knocking him off his feet. The wave also seemed to catch Sophia off-guard, making her drop Celest for just a split second. The Gardevoir used that opportunity to teleport to Eric, feeling her energy come back.

"This world...it's ending!" Mars exclaimed.

"You did it Master Cyrus!" Jupiter added in excitement.

The entire world shook slightly as it began to slowly fall apart. Eric decided he was going to take Galactic down before they could celebrate. He brought his rifle up, firing a burst of rounds at Jupiter. The bullets struck Jupiter in the chest, making the Commander fall with a scream. Mars spun around, drawing her pistol, but had to duck to avoid being shot as Eric opened fire on her as well. Celest rushed in a blaze of energy towards her sister as Sophia tried to intervene in the fight. The two sisters battled each other as they darted around the ruins in flashes. Eric and Mars exchanged fire back and forth, neither being able to hit the other. Jupiter simply laid on the ground, gasping for air as her life began to leave her. Cyrus didn't budge. He watched the two humans exchange fire and the two Gardevoir fight to the end. Moon blasts, shadow balls, and bolts of lightning filled the air, following with large chunks of stone being ripped from the floor and thrown at each other. The Galactic leader grinned to himself; he knew it was only a matter of time before this world was done anyways.

Eric jumped from around his cover, firing another burst of rounds. One finally hit its mark, smacking into Mars's leg. She yelled in pain and fell down, then jumped up and hobbled for cover. She pulled the dying Jupiter with her when she saw that Eric was reloading.

Mars held Jupiter in her arms behind a fallen pillar. Jupiter looked over to where Cyrus stood, then back up at Mars.

"Mars...we won." She quietly said.

Mars felt a tear run down her face. She was happy that Galactic was successful, but was saddened to lose the one she considered her friend. Jupiter coughed, then smiled at Mars.

"Don't cry...today is a glorious day." She said. Her voice was getting weaker.

Mars nodded and they both turned to watch their leader. Cyrus stood under the two legendary pokemon as they let out another roar. Cyrus yelled out once again.

"Dialga! Palkia! Bring this world to its end!"

The two pokemon went to give off another wave of their power, but was interrupted by dark pools forming over the triangle carved into the ruin's floor.

Everyone there paused, even the two Gardevoir stopped their fighting to watch. The pool bubbled and popped like tar, but was darker than the darkest black. It sparkled like the stars in the night sky. The pools grew larger, then a black mass began to emerge from it. It was as big as the two legendary pokemon floating above it. It started to take shape as the black muck fell off of it. Two glowing red eyes appeared from the darkness as it spread its wings. They were as wide as the ruins itself, tipped in blood red spikes. The black liquid fell off of it, revealing itself to everyone present.

It was a large draconic beast. It had six legs tipped with golden hooves and its body was gray in color. Gold half-rings circled its back and it had a large golden crown perched on its head. Red stripes covered its black belly. The newly emerged pokemon let out a roar of its own, more deafening than the others with its rage. The third member of the Creation Trio glanced at its imprisoned brothers, then glared at Cyrus.

Celest gasped at the sight. Eric was shocked as well. It was the monster they both had seen in their dreams.

The Galactic Leader looked up at the pokemon. He frowned at the sight.

"The pokemon that comes from shadows, Giratina!" He yelled, throwing his hands upwards. "So you did come to interfere!"

Dialga opened his mouth, charging a black-purple orb of energy. He fired it at Giratina, who flew straight into the air to dodge the attack. Palkia then shot upwards as well, his claws glowing with immense power. The Spatial Pokemon swung his claws at the Renegade Pokemon, but he simply dodged it as well. Giratina flew high into the sky, then turned to face his brothers. Two dark spheres of power formed in front of him. He then launched the orbs, hitting both Palkia and Dialga. The hit shattered the red chains bounding the two pokemon. Upon realizing they were freed, the two shot into the sky. Purple and blue bands of light were trailing behind them as they spiraled into the clouds to reverse the damage that had been done and stop the apocalypse. The three Lake Guardians, also freed from Galactic control, fled with the other two legendary pokemon.

Mars and Jupiter watched on. They both had no words. They only knew that Galactic had now failed.

"No..." Jupiter said. It was her last word, passing away right there in Mars's arms. The surviving Galactic Commander started crying as she knew they lost.

Cyrus stood his ground. He looked up at Giratina. The Renegade Pokemon landed with a heavy thud. The pokemon stared down at Cyrus, then jumped once again into the air. He formed back into a black, shadowy mass as he dove straight down onto the Galactic Leader. The ground shook with the impact as Giratina went back to his dimension, taking Cyrus with him as banishment. Only a few black pools of shadow stayed behind for a moment, before disappearing themselves.

Celest let out a sigh of relief. The world had been spared. She looked over to Eric and smiled. He managed to get a smile out as well, looking at his girlfriend. She floated over to him and took his hands in hers. The two then shared a kiss as they temporarily forgot the world around them. Once their lips parted, Celest noticed that Garchomp was not with him. She glanced towards the top of the stairs that led to the ruins, then back to Eric.

" **Where's Garchomp and the others?** " Celest asked. Eric lost his smile and his gaze dropped to the ground. Celest then felt his emotions and noticed the grief within him. " **Eric...what's wrong?...** "

Eric was quiet for a second, then replied. "Cynthia and the Defense Force stayed back to hold off Galactic reinforcements."

He then looked up and into Celest's red eyes.

"Garchomp, he earned a name. It's Steadfast...and he..." Eric shook his head. "...He didn't make it."

Celest felt a lump form in her throat. She felt a wave of emotions rush through her. She took a step back from Eric, her eyes glancing from the ground to him.

" **I'm sorry Eric...I'm sure he fought brav-** " She was cut off by a large piece of stone smashing into her and knocking her back hard. It was from her sister, who was still under control of Mars. The sudden attack snapped Eric back to reality.

Sophia was glowing in her armor. She screamed in pain as she grabbed another stone and threw it at Eric. He barely managed to dodge it.

"Sophia! Stop it!" He yelled. It was of no use though. The imprisoned Gardevoir fired a hyper beam at Celest, who was still recovering from the earlier attack. The hyper beam hit her and knocked her to the ground.

Mars crawled from behind her cover. Rage had taken over her grief. She flipped a switch on her belt.

"I will blow this mountain top to hell and take you all with me!" She yelled.

Eric looked around at the explosives laid out around the ruins. Red lights on the demo lit up and the counter began. He looked back at Mars and opened fire. Bullets struck the stone pillar she hid behind, and a ricochet managed to strike her in the arm. Mars dropped back into cover. She reached for Sophia's remote and hit a button, forcing the sister to attack again without resting after the hyper beam.

Sophia charged a moon blast, then sent it straight for Eric. The pink orb of power traced its way towards the soldier, who couldn't dodge the attack in time.

Eric was hit by the fairy attack. It sent him flying back into one of the ruin's pillars. He slammed into it and felt several of his ribs break. He let out a scream in pain and dropped to the ground, sending more tendrils of pain shooting up through his body. He writhed on the cold stone. He knew he had to get up. He had to help Celest in the fight to save her sister.

Celest gasped in horror at the sight. She never saw Eric show much pain. He had always stood so defiantly in the face of adversity, but this was too much. Seeing him scream in agony and pain sent such strong emotions through her. Her heart burned with a newly found strength. She had to protect her love. She had to save him and her sister.

The Gardevoir pulled herself to her feet. She found the energy to float up off the ground and stared down Sophia. The armored Gardevoir grabbed Eric against her will and tossed him like a toy across the ruin's floor. He groaned as he rolled and clutched at his chest. He tried to get back up, but was grabbed again and thrown high into the air.

" **No!** " Celest yelled, grabbing Eric in her own psychic grasp. She gently lowered him to the ground, then immediately had to teleport to dodge a shadow ball thrown by Sophia. She re-materialized across the battlefield, then threw a shadow ball of her own. Sophia merely teleported to the side and dodged the attack entirely. She then teleported once more, this time appearing right in front of Celest.

Before she could react, Sophia slammed an electrified fist into Celest's gut. Her insides were wrenched and shocked from the hit as she was sent to the side and landed on her back. She laid there for a moment in a daze, then was hit by a piece of torn stone thrown by her imprisoned sister. She went limp and felt herself black out.

With Celest out of the way, Sophia turned her attention back to Eric. He managed to pull himself up and was standing once more. He wiped away the blood running from his mouth as he called out to her.

"Sophia! I know you can still hear me!" He yelled. "You have to fight it! Fight back against the armor!"

Sophia hesitated, then clawed at her helmet in a desperate attempt to remove it. She let out a scream of agony as the armor activated its countermeasures and electrocuted her. It also sent out x-rays and microwaves that were tuned to mess with her psychic powers. Her brain felt as if it was getting fried as she tried to fight back against it. It was of no use though, the armor quickly gained the upper-hand and retook control of her.

The sister then grabbed Eric once again and slammed him into another pillar. Eric felt several more bones snap and his insides get jolted. He was then held up against a pillar as he felt his entire body being crushed in Sophia's grasp. He braced for what seemed like the end. His mind began to black out, his vision went blurry. Then, suddenly, the keystone on his dog tags lit up. It began to shake as tendrils of light shot out of it. They whipped around the pillars and met tendrils of light that came from Celest's gardevoirite.

The unconscious Gardevoir then was lifted into the air as she glowed in a bright white light. She changed and evolved into her mega form. Mega Celest reopened her eyes, awakened by the gardevoirite's power. She saw Eric being crushed in her sister's psychic grip.

" **Eric!** " Celest screamed. _Sophia, stop!_

She charged a moon blast, then sent the pink orb of energy straight for Sophia. It slammed into her and sent her flying. Sophia then reappeared in the flash of an eye, then tried grabbing Celest with psychic. It was useless, Mega Celest's psychic powers were now far stronger than ever before, and she shrugged off the attempted attack. She reached out with her hands, grabbing Sophia and holding her in place. Her imprisoned sister let out a scream of agony as she was being forced to fight back.

 _Sophia! Come back to us!_ Celest yelled as she used her powers to rip Sophia's armor off of her, now that she was strong enough. With the armor forcefully removed, Sophia fell unconscious and dropped to the ground. From a distance, Ryan saw what happened as he secretly climbed up to the mountain's peak. He screamed his mate's name and ran over to her. He scooped her up into his arms and began crying.

Celest watched as Ryan held Sophia in his arms. She felt for him, understanding what he was feeling. Sophia was freed though, and she could feel that her sister would be okay. Celest then went over to them, and forced the two young lovers to teleport off the mountain top. She knew the explosives were set to go off soon.

With them gone, she knew she had probably just given up her and Eric's one chance at escaping the blast. She felt like she didn't have the energy left in her to teleport again. Her vision went blurry, and she fell to her knees. As she hit the ground, she reverted back to her normal form. She then fell forward onto her chest.

Mars looked up from over her cover. She saw that Sophia had been freed. Rage boiled in her veins as she could only seethe in anger at the realization that Galactic was done for. Master Cyrus was gone, Jupiter and the others were now dead. **It's all because of that fucking soldier and that damned Gardevoir...** She thought as she stood up. She reached down to her holster and redrew her pistol. She checked to make sure that there was a round chambered as she walked towards where Eric limply lain. He was trying to stand back up, seeing that Mars was nearing him.

"I'm tired of you!" She yelled, leveling the pistol at him. "You ruined everything for us!"

She clicked the pistol's safety off.

"This is where you die soldier!"

Eric bravely faced her. He didn't say anything in return. He was ready for it. He just simply gave her a mocking grin. The smile made her even more angry. She pulled the trigger twice, sending two bullets through Eric's chest. The soldier fell backwards against the pillar behind him and slid down it. His breathing immediately became harder and more shallow. The burning sensation seared his chest.

Mars cleared the jam her pistol suffered just then, cursing to herself as she walked even closer to the fallen soldier. She chambered another round as she got within a meter of Eric. She planted the muzzle of the gun against his forehead.

"YOU. DIE. NOW!" She screamed. She went to pull the trigger, but heard the metal of the gun groan.

The pistol twisted and bent in an invisible hand, rendering the handgun useless. Mars then felt the color in her skin drain as a primal fear suddenly took over. She looked over, and a short distance away she saw Celest hovering a few centimeters from the ground. She looked beaten and battered, but her eyes burned in an intense blue light.

The Gardevoir released all of her energy. All of her rage. All of her hatred towards the Galactic Commander that was the cause of her parents' deaths. The cause of all of her misery. She impaled Mars with a dozen crystal shards of blazing light. Mars was bloodily impaled through every part of her body. The Galactic Commander looked down at her body, seeing the jagged shards protruding from her chest. Blood ran down her body, and she felt her soul begin to leave her. She then looked back up at Celest with an open mouth.

" **You feel that?** " Celest said in a low tone. Tears of pain and anger were flowing down her face. She turned her wrists over, causing the crystals to twist in Mars's abdomen. " **That's from my parents...from Joe...from Burke...from Gyarados, Steadfast, and everyone else you've killed, you bitch.** "

A large shard was then sent through Mars's skull, driving parts of her brain with it out the back of her head. The last remaining Galactic Commander then dropped dead without a sound.

Then, having expended the last of her energy, Celest fell to the ground as well. She collapsed onto her front, gasping for air as she felt herself spent. Her vision was still blurry as she tried to focus her sight on Eric, who was still barely alive.

The couple then heard the imminent beeping sounds of the explosives as they entered their final countdown to detonation.

* * *

 **Another huge cliffhanger, I know...but the story isn't over just yet. You'll have to see what happens next time with Chapter 20! I'll see you next week! Peace!**


	20. The Sinnoh Soldier

**It's Friday once again. I'm saddened but proud to say that we're close to the end of the road. It's been a wild ride, and I hope you all enjoyed the story! As for this chapter: Even if it may be short, I think this one will not fail to bring forth many emotions. Writing this chapter brought tears to my eyes with every press of the keyboard. Now to get the disclaimer out of the way: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Pokemon or anything within it. Pokemon belongs only to its respective owners. Let's get into it! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 20** **: The Sinnoh Soldier**

 **Immediately** **following End of the World:**

Every nerve and muscle in his body screamed and begged with pain for Eric to stop, but he didn't. He coughed, sending splatters of blood from his mouth to the ground. It was hard for him to breath. He could feel one of his lungs being filled with blood and the bullet wounds in his chest were searing in pain. He began to feel cold. He ignored it all and rose to his feet.

His prosthetic leg gave way from its damage and the soldier fell again. He dropped to his knees once more and fell forward, catching himself on his hands. Eric swore and reached down, ripping the prosthetic leg off and tossing the broken limb to the side. He knew deep in his heart he wouldn't need it anymore. Then, fighting against every bit of pain he felt, he pushed himself up and onto his remaining leg while bracing against the stone pillar nearby. He looked forward and saw Celest laying on the ground only ten meters ahead. She was struggling to push herself up as she weakly looked over and met his gaze. She slowly reached up with one hand and then collapsed.

Eric hobbled forward on his one leg. The only thing running through his head was that he had to get to Celest. They didn't have time, the demo charges were set to go off soon. All he could think about was that he had to save her. He hobbled a few more steps, then couldn't keep his balance and fell once more. He refused to give up as he started to crawl towards his love. She looked at him, and began crawling towards him as well. After several agonizing moments, the mates finally crawled up and laid next to one another.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight. She looked at him through half-open eyes. Several trickles of blood ran from his mouth as Eric turned his head to cough up more blood. She could feel tears collecting heavily in her eyes at the sight of the one she loved being so hurt. They locked eyes for a moment, then Eric reached towards his belt. He retrieved the one pokeball still attached to it, hers, and held it between them.

"Celest...please...you'll be safe." Eric said. His voice was choked up and raspy from his injuries.

Tears ran down her face as she shook her head.

"...We don't have time to get away...save yourself..." Eric pleaded as tears pooled in his blue eyes.

She pulled his head towards her and kissed him. She held it for several moments, then their lips separated.

" **No...** " she said, shaking her head again, " **I won't leave you.** "

Eric's tears broke from his eyes and ran down his cheeks. **Save her.** Was all he thought. He grabbed at the keystone embedded in one of his dog tags and ripped it off the chain. He placed it in Celest's hand and closed her fingers around it. She stared at her closed hand then, with sadness, back at him.

"I love you Celestial..." He said. His voice broke. He pulled her in for another kiss.

As her eyes closed from the kiss, she heard the pokeball open and was enveloped in its red light. Her eyes opened and locked with his as she felt her heart shatter.

" **Eric?...** " Her voice choked. The red light was getting brighter as she began to be pulled into the pokeball.

"I'm sorry sweetheart...but I have to save you...like I've always promised." Eric said. Celest's eyes never left his as she was pulled into the ball. It snapped shut.

The soldier started sobbing and held the ball close to his chest.

"I-I am so sorry Celest...so sorry." Eric said as he sobbed.

He rolled over onto his stomach and slowly pushed himself up onto his knees. Blood almost completely filled one of his lungs, making his breathing even harder. He had to consciously think to breathe.

 **Save her.**

 **Breathe in.**

 **Fifteen** **seconds.**

Tears continued rolling down his face as he stared at the pokeball that contained the love of his life.

 **I always promised to protect her.**

 **Save her.**

 **Breathe out.**

 **Ten seconds.**

He kissed the shiny surface of the ball, clutching it tight in his hands.

 **She is the love of my life...I will save her...even if it means I have to die.**

 **Breathe in.**

 **Seven seconds.**

He knew what he had to do. What had to be done. He looked at the pokeball one last time.

"I love you...so, so much." Eric quietly spoke his last words.

 **Do it.**

 **Breathe out.**

 **Five seconds.**

He cocked his arm back that was holding the ball. One last thought of all the memories he shared with Celest went through his mind. One last thought of his daughter, Harmony. One last tear left a trail down his face. He threw the pokeball as hard as he could. It flew through the air, spinning as it went and fell down the mountainside. He fell forward as he threw it, landing on his hands and then collapsing to his chest.

 **Breathe in.**

 **Two seconds.**

All of his fears vanished. Eric suddenly felt content and peaceful. He knew she would be safe from the blast. It was all he wanted; for her to be safe. He knew the world would go on without him. He knew Celest and Harmony would eventually move on. He knew he truly loved them with all his heart. The soldier closed his eyes and smiled. He didn't feel cold anymore.

 ** _"You are worthy."_**

 **Breathe out.**

 **Zero seconds.**

A pop was heard, followed by the ground shaking as the charges detonated. Thunder and fire seemed to fill the sky as smoke and dust was sent in every direction. Eric didn't feel any pain as the explosion engulfed him. He only felt warmth.

 **Meanwhile:**

The pokeball dropped sharply in its fall from the mountain top. Down below was the Champion and Harmony. Mike was sitting against a rock, being treated by another soldier for a wound he sustained. Sophia was still unconscious and was being held by Ryan, who was crying but otherwise happy to have her back safely. The group then looked up and saw the pokeball falling towards them. Harmony gasped, feeling a sense of dread in her gut. Cynthia watched the ball fall towards them as well, knowing what this had meant and she had difficulty holding back her emotions. The pokeball hit the ground and broke with a sharp crack. It sizzled, sparked, and shut off forever. Before shutting off, the ball's failsafe activated, releasing Celest just before it died out.

The Gardevoir appeared in a haze of light. She was standing for a moment, then toppled over. Before she hit the ground, Harmony caught her with her psychic grasp. The shiny Kirlia floated over in a rush, wrapping her arms around her mother. That's when the explosions were heard. Plumes of fire and debris erupted from the mountaintop. The sound awakened Celest's mind as she managed to collect herself. Her head turned upwards and her eyes widened at the sudden realization at what happened.

She attempted to teleport back to the mountaintop, but her pounding head prevented her from doing so. She then tried in vain to run up the path to the ruins, but was held back by Harmony. Cynthia ran over and pulled her back as well with tears flowing down her face.

"Celest, he's gone! There's nothing you can do!" Cynthia called out, trying to hold her back.

" **Dammit, let go of me! I have to go get him!** " Celest screamed as she fought against their grip. Harmony strengthened her psychic hold on her.

Another string of explosions rang out as it got louder. Smoke, fire and dust bellowed and mushroomed into the sky. Celest froze and stared up at the smoke. She tried to feel for his presence, for his emotions, for anything...but there was nothing. Her heart felt as if it grew cold from the lack of Eric being there. Her eyes were wide and glimmering with tears. Among the dust and small rocks that fell from the mountain, a single piece of color fell with it. It was a torn strip of fabric; tattered and burnt at its edges. The piece fluttered gingerly in the wind. Celest held a hand out, and the fabric fell into her palm. It was a piece of Eric's camo jacket. She stared at it, then tightly gripped the cloth and brought it to her face, sobbing into it. She fell to her knees as she couldn't contain her tears anymore. Everyone around watched as she broke down.

Harmony wrapped her arms around her mother again. Celest didn't return the hug; she just tightly held onto the the fabric as she cried. Harmony then started crying as well, mourning for her father. After a moment, Celest turned and returned the hug, and the two held each other for a few moments.

Cynthia could only stare at the Gardevoir and Kirlia. She had no words to say that could bring comfort to them. She looked over at Mike, who even had a tear as well.

Mike looked back up at the mountain top. The dust had mostly cleared, but fires and smoke still bellowed from the peak. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, then reopened them and watched the mother and daughter as they mourned together.

"Rest in peace soldier..." Mike quietly said.

 **A few days later:**

In the humblest of homes. In diners and businesses across the Sinnoh region. In the hospitals housing those injured by the massive attacks perpetrated by the now defunct Team Galactic; televisions that were on flicked to more breaking news. The screens were blue, and a monotone sound emitted from their speakers. The heads of many turned to watch and see what else had happened. The entire region held their breath as the screen flickered and showed decorative curtains that were displayed as a backdrop. A wooden podium stood and upon it were a dozen microphones from the various news agencies. A woman, neatly dressed in a military uniform approached the podium and stood behind it and looked into the camera for several unspoken moments. Her chest was covered with several ribbons and medals, and the ranks of Colonel were displayed on her shoulders. She cleared her throat, then spoke.

"We have just received confirmation from our sources." She began. Her eyes stared vacantly into the cameras, only briefly looking down to read off the paper in front of her. "That Eric Hahn, the man who has been revered as a hero after his actions on Iron Island...has been killed in the line of duty."

The citizens of Sinnoh continued to watch the woman on screen. Their eyes couldn't break away. The Colonel continued her speech.

"The enemy had planned to capture and use the great pokemon Dialga and Palkia to destroy the world, but they were stopped." The Colonel paused once again to collect her thoughts and read over the transcript. "Eric Hahn, along with his pokemon and several squads of soldiers, charged up Mt. Coronet and destroyed Team Galactic."

A waitress at a local restaurant froze in place, watching the television mounted in the corner of the dining room. Her customers were staring at the TV along with her. The waitress covered her mouth in shock at the news. Several other people showed similar worry.

"After losing his beloved Garchomp in combat, Eric Hahn went alone to the peak of Mt. Coronet and killed the remainder of Galactic's leaders before he was killed as well in a large explosion."

In a military training barracks, recruits hopped and moved around chairs to crowd the lone television they had. They all couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Eric has never agreed to special treatment, or to be elevated above anyone else for his actions. But, we must acknowledge the loss..."

The Colonel stopped to clear her throat and wipe the tear from her eye. At a small home in Celestic Town, Eric's mother felt light-headed. She had already been made aware of her son's death, but to hear it again on the news only served to reconfirm her worst fears. She couldn't find the strength to stand. She placed her hand on her forehead and collapsed into her chair, breaking down into another fit of tears. Harmony floated over to her and hugged her. Eric's mother wrapped her arms around the Kirlia, returning the embrace. The Colonel continued.

"...the loss that we, our entire region has suffered."

In the park of Jubilife City, a small family was huddled around a radio. They had been listening to music before it cut to the breaking news. A young brother and sister cried and held each other while their mother tried to comfort them. The little girl clutched onto her Gardevoir doll as she mourned the death of a man she considered a hero. Nearby was an Alakazam, the same one that Celest spoke to years ago. He lowered and shook his head in sadness. From the radio's speakers, the Colonel could still be heard.

"His sacrifice will never be forgotten. We will all remember him for who he was. A soldier. A son. A pokemon trainer. A friend...and a hero to us all."

On screen, another soldier walked into view. He was dressed similarly to the Colonel in a clean dress uniform. He was carrying a small black box. The camera panned out, revealing that Celest was present on the small stage with Mike at her side. It was obvious from Celest's expression that she wished to be away and was on the verge of tears. Even then, she stood straight and tried to appear strong. Mike looked at her for a moment, laying a hand on her shoulder for a mere second to reassure her. The Colonel gestured with one hand to the soldier holding the small black box.

"The Defense Force has elected to posthumously award Corporal Eric Hahn. I will be presenting the medal to his pokemon."

The Colonel stepped away from the podium, moving towards the soldier. She took the box from his hands and then approached Celest. The Gardevoir stared blankly ahead, not meeting the Colonel's eyes even when she got in front of her. Mike touched her gently on the arm, breaking Celest's trance. She finally met the Colonel's gaze.

"You have bravely fought alongside Eric and refused to leave him." She said, opening the black box. "You were his pokemon, and you were his lover. Though we will not speak of the legality of such a relationship, you were there for him regardless."

The Colonel revealed a shiny medal within the box. It was a golden star with an engraved wreath decorating its surface. She held the open box out to Celest, who hesitated before placing her hands out.

"In the name of the Sinnoh Region, I posthumously present the Medal of Valor to Corporal Eric Hahn, of the Sinnoh Defense Force, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk and sacrifice of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while serving alongside Bravo Squad in combat against the enemy on Mt. Coronet. Corporal Hahn's unwavering courage and steadfast devotion to his loved ones and home, even in the face of death, reflect a great credit upon himself and the Sinnoh Defense Force. We have truly lost one of our best."

The Colonel then rested the box in Celest's palms. The Gardevoir closed the box and wrapped her fingers around it; staring at it with the glimmers of tears collecting in her eyes. She understood the importance that the medal had to humans, but she couldn't help but think that she'd rather have him back instead. Then, the flashes of cameras nearly blinded her. Photographs for the newspapers were being taken of the moment.

The Colonel placed her hands on top of Celest's and continued to look at her. Then, quiet enough so the microphones wouldn't pick it up, she spoke to Celest.

"I am truly sorry for your loss. I hope you may find peace in the coming times. Just know that he was a hero to us all, and will be celebrated as such for countless generations."

Celest didn't respond. She merely dropped her gaze and turned away from the Colonel in sorrow, then floated away with Mike following her. She was done with being on camera. She was done with being in the spotlight for any reason. She just wanted to be alone.

 **One week after Eric's death:**

The bugles sounded off. The sound of Taps rang through the air with its hollow sounds. Celest didn't move in her chair. She sat in the front row with Harmony on her left and Eric's mother on her right. She stared blankly ahead at Eric's coffin. She was relieved that there were remains that could be buried, but naturally it was to be a closed casket funeral. A large wooden-framed photo of Eric sat beside the casket. Flowers were arranged in large bouquets of various shades of yellow and white around the funeral service. The ceremony was taking place within the Sinnoh League stadium. Thousands were in attendance to show their sympathy to the soldier who had been officially declared a hero of Sinnoh. Never before had the stadium been so full of people, yet be so silent as the attendees bowed their heads in respect. The Honor Guard was ready to perform their part. Sergeant Mike Cummings was leading the squad, wearing his dress uniform. It was pressed and his medals and ribbons were proudly displayed as the sunlight reflected off the polished black of his shoes.

"Atten-shun!" Mike began to bark the orders.

The Honor Guards snapped to attention and stood straight.

"Half Right, Face!"

The Guards pivoted on their feet to face to their right.

"Port Arms!"

The soldiers brought their rifles in front of them; holding the rifles at an angle pointing upwards across the chest.

"Ready!"

The Guards reached across their rifles and chambered the first blank rounds. Soft clicks were then heard as the safeties were disengaged.

"Aim!"

The soldiers brought their rifles to their shoulders and aimed them up at a forty-five degree angle into the air. Mike glanced over at Celest. She still blankly stared at the casket. Mike paused, then slowly inhaled.

"Fire!"

Celest slightly jumped as the seven rifles each fired a blank. Loud cracks of the gunshots rang through the air. Followed by another volley of seven. Then another for a total of twenty one. Every shot felt like a nail being driven into her heart. Each a reminder that Eric was really gone. A single tear ran down her face as she refused to break her gaze at the metal box his remains were in. She kept hoping he would open that casket and climb out of it, safe and sound. But she knew it wasn't going to happen, and the thought only served to hurt her worse.

With the twenty one-gun salute done, six more Honor Guards marched over to Eric's casket. They meticulously lifted the flag of Sinnoh off the casket and began folding it. Once it was neatly folded, an Honor Guard pivoted on his heels and handed the folded flag to Sgt. Cummings. Mike took the flag in his hands, then pivoted as well and walked over to Celest. He dropped to one knee and looked her in the eyes. The Gardevoir finally broke her gaze from the casket to meet Mike's eyes. They were full of empathy, and tears ever so slightly gathered in their corners. Her eyes began to water as well as he held the flag out at arm's length. She hesitated.

" **Why me? Eric's mother is right here.** " Celest quietly said, gesturing to Eric's mom who was sitting next to her. Mike didn't move.

Eric's mom placed her hand on Celest's shoulder and softly said, "You're the next of kin, Celest. You were his mate. The love of his life. Please take the flag...he'd want you to have it."

Celest looked over at her. His mom had tears streaming down her face but was otherwise giving a small smile at her. Celest managed to give a small smile back as her own tears broke free and ran down her cheeks.

" **Thank you, Mary.** " She said to his mother. Celest then turned back to Mike, who continued to hold the folded flag out towards her. The stadium was silent. Many faces looked on as many more tears were being shed by those in attendance. Celest reached out, taking the folded flag from Mike's hands and pulling it to her chest in a hug. The Sergeant then stood straight and saluted her.

The funeral continued for a short time. Many soldiers that were serving with the Defense Force, followed by many members of the police force lined up and approached the casket. As each one went up, they placed their service pin and embedded it into the casket's metal surface as a sign of having been there to pay their respects. By the time they all went through the line, every inch of the top of Eric's casket was covered in the various service pins of soldiers and police alike. Once it was done, the casket was carried away to be buried at the Celestic Town cemetery.

Several hours later, after Eric's casket had been buried, only Celest and Harmony stayed behind at the grave site. Celest didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay at the grave. She was on her knees, still mourning his death. After several moments of silent sobbing, Harmony floated up to her and she pulled her into a tight hug. Celest wrapped her arms around her daughter and stood up, still embracing her. After a moment, they parted from the embrace.

 _Mom...we'll be okay, I promise._ Harmony said to her.

Celest let out a light chuckle, then returned to her saddened state, _I know sweetheart...I just miss him so much._

Harmony hugged her mother again, saying, _I know mom, I miss Daddy too...but we have to remember something though._

 _What's that sweetheart?_ Celest asked.

Harmony looked up at Celest with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, _He gave us the greatest gift ever. He gave us a tomorrow. Daddy helped to stop the end of the world and gave everyone a tomorrow._

Tears streamed down Celest's face and she smiled warmly and looked up into the sky. She remembered when she told Eric that same thing some time ago about Sgt. Burke's sacrifice.

 **He did...we now really have a tomorrow...and I know he'll still be there, watching after us.** Celest thought.

 **One year later:**

Within the cemetery of Celestic Town, there now stood a large obelisk. It was a monument to those lost in the fight against Team Galactic. Inscribed on its surface was the names of everyone who were killed in the fighting. Whether it was from Iron Island, or the battle of the Galactic base on the Battle Zone, or all the way to the fight on top of Mt. Coronet; the names of every soldier who gave their life for Sinnoh was written upon it. In front of the obelisk stood a statue. It was a life-sized statue of Eric. He was posed proudly, standing at the state of attention in his dress uniform. His statue rested upon a large stone pedestal.

On its face was inscribed, 'In honor of those lost in the fight against a great evil, and in honor of Eric Hahn; a soldier who sacrificed his own life to stop a plan to destroy our world.'.

Above the inscription was the title: 'The Sinnoh Soldier'.

A shiny Gardevoir approached the statue. She placed her hand on the pedestal's inscription and gently rubbed Eric's name. She let out a smile. Her amber-colored eyes glimmered in the sunlight.

" **It's been a year, Dad. I evolved into a Gardevoir recently...sometimes I miss being a Kirlia, but I think I'm ready.** " Harmony said. She looked up at the statue.

" **Mom lets me sleep in one of your t-shirts. I think it still smells like you.** " She then lowered her head as tears collected in her eyes, " **I try not to cry anymore Dad...but it still hurts.** "

A few silent moments passed as Harmony collected herself, then she continued, " **I've been battling in the league...We've defeated everyone in the League Conference and will be facing the Elite Four soon. I hope you're proud of me...Can you see me when I battle?** "

Tears rolled down her face, " **I try not to be sad...but it's hard without you...** "

A young man, Lucas, walked up next to Harmony and grabbed her hand. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Harmony squeezed his hand and continued, " **You'll be happy to hear that human/pokemon relationships are now completely legal...I've been with my trainer, Luke, for awhile now.** "

She looked up at the statue once more as her tears kept flowing, " **I know you'll be with me when I walk down the aisle...I hope you know that you're my hero...I love you so much...** "

She began to choke up more, " **C-can you see me?...I miss you Daddy.** "

She then turned and wrapped her arms around Lucas. He returned the hug and kissed her on top of her head. She cried quietly into his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth. After a few quiet moments, Celest slowly floated up behind the couple. Around her neck she wore a green scarf. Stitched into the scarf was the piece of Eric's jacket that she caught. Harmony let go of Luke and went to her mother's open arms. The two pokemon hugged and shed tears together.

As she hugged her daughter, Celest looked up at the statue. Her eyes then lowered to its pedestal. Eric as a spirit appeared at the base. He looked happy and peaceful. He was leaning against the pedestal and smiling warmly at Celest and Harmony. Then, alongside Eric, her parents appeared in spirit form as well. Celest smiled back as tears rolled down her cheeks.

" **I love you Eric.** " Celest said to him.

"I love you too Celestial. Watch over our baby for me." He responded.

 _We're so proud of you dear. Just remember that we'll always be here for you._ Her mother said as she linked arms with her dad.

 _And always remember that we love you, with every ounce of our hearts._ Her father added.

Her parents then faded away. Eric smiled wider and blew a kiss. Behind him, Sgt. Burke and Joe appeared. They both smiled as Eric waved goodbye. The three then turned to walk away, fading away as they left.

Celest closed her eyes and continued to hug her daughter. Another moment passed, then they separated. Celest then reached up, undoing the gardevoirite from around her neck. She then placed the necklace containing the mega stone around Harmony's neck. She then approached Luke, reaching into a small pocket sewn into her scarf. From the pocket, she retrieved Eric's dog-tags that had the keystone embedded. She placed the chain with the keystone around Luke's neck. Celest smiled at Lucas, knowing he'd take care of her daughter. Harmony then reached over and grabbed Luke's hand. The two shared a kiss as they turned and walked away to go back to their own adventure. Celest happily watched the couple leave, then took one more look at the statue. She smiled bigger as she wiped away her tears, then turned and floated away to catch up with the couple to accompany them on their travels.

Even with the love of her life gone, she could still feel his loving presence around her. She knew he was at peace and without any pain. She could feel deep within her heart he would always be there for her. She knew that one day they will be reunited and in each others arms for eternity. That thought alone put her mind at ease and made her feel finally at peace.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! It has been a good run, and I have truly enjoyed writing and editing and rewriting every part of it! I hope you all loved the story as much as I loved writing it! I think this chapter is probably the most emotional one, and I hope I brought forth emotions within everyone who read this story all the way through.**

 **I now truly want to thank every single one of you who took the time to read my story! I poured nothing but love (and many hours of typing) into it! You guys are absolutely awesome and I really appreciate all of your support and love! I never expected my story to get the attention that it has received, but to see several thousand views and many of you who private messaged me or left reviews telling me that you love the story or liked certain parts, 'couldn't believe that x happened' or whatever! You guys are the reason I don't stop the story short. All of your support is what pushes me to see this story through to the end, and pretty much now here we are! A part of me doesn't want to end the story, but I can only come up with so much material that makes sense or is interesting to me to write.**

 **Anyways I don't want to keep rambling. I will send this off with one last thank you to everyone who has ever read my story, even if it was just a single part! You guys are all awesome and are my inspiration to writing! Thank you all so much for supporting me in this. I will see you all later! Maybe next week? ;) Peace!**

 **" _You are worthy._ " - The last words that Eric heard.**


	21. The Alpha Pokemon

**Welcome back once more! I bet you all thought that it was over for A Soldier and His Gardevoir huh? Not yet! There's one last part to be told! Surprise, surprise! I hope you all enjoy what is the finale of this story, even if it's a bit short. I also wanted to give a shout out and a huge thank you to the very talented artist Bano Akira! I have commissioned Bano's awesome talents to create a new cover picture, and it is amazing! The commissioned picture will be the official cover picture for this story and will be up whenever it's complete. So please check out Bano's Nest on tumblr and give that awesome artist some love! Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, which instead belongs to its rightful owners. On to the finale! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: The Alpha Pokemon**

 **(Finale)**

 **One month following the ending of Save Her:**

The stadium was roaring in a huge applause. This was it. Just hours ago Lucas and Harmony had defeated Lucian, the last of the Sinnoh Elite Four. It was now time for the final match. Lucas walked out onto the battlefield with Harmony floating beside him. Both had confident looks on their faces as the crowd cheered their names. They waved to the spectators, then turned to their attention to the woman awaiting them at the field's center.

Cynthia, the undefeated Champion of Sinnoh, stood and watched the couple make their way towards her. She smiled warmly at them. She felt proud of the shiny Gardevoir who had grown so much in the short time she's been battling. Once Lucas and Harmony made it over to her, she shook hands with Lucas. The Gardevoir wouldn't accept a handshake however; instead she went in for a hug. The two held each other for a moment, then pulled away.

"You've done so well Harmony. Your father would be very proud of you." Cynthia said, smiling at her.

Harmony smiled back, replying, " **Thank you, Aunt Cynthia. Good luck.** "

"You too. Both of you." The Champion replied, looking over at Lucas. He gave her a confident grin.

The Champion and the mates parted ways, each walking to their respective places. The crowd lowered their cheers so the announcer could be heard over the loudspeakers. A crackle was heard as the microphone came on.

"This will the Championship Battle!" The announcer's booming voice could be heard. "The Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia versus Lucas from Twinleaf!"

The spectators cheered wildly for the two competitors. Celest watched on from her private skybox. She sat in a chair next to the huge glass window stretching across the entire front wall of the room. The skybox had the perfect view of the battle from where she was at. Back at the arena, Cynthia had her hands resting on her hips. Next to her, a small Gabite excitedly clawed at the ground in anticipation. Cynthia looked over at the young dragon and chuckled.

"This battle will be a standard Championship Match. Each competitor has chosen six pokemon to use. Only one pokemon may be used at a time. Last team standing will be declared the victor." The announcer concluded with the rules.

Lucas wasted no time, he reached for his belt and grabbed the first pokeball. Harmony smiled at him as Lucas threw it.

"Raichu! Make Eric proud!" He yelled.

The ball hit the ground and opened, releasing the electric mouse. The old Raichu had been in Lucas's possession since Eric's death. She looked at Cynthia, and sent small jolts of lightning from her cheeks and to the ground. She was ready to battle. Cynthia smiled at the mouse. She then reached for her first pokeball.

"Spiritomb! Go!" She said, releasing the Forbidden Pokemon. It first appeared to be nothing but a normal trapezoidal rock with a few cracks in it. Within a moment though, a purple fog emerged from the cracks. It swirled around the rock and a pair of green eyes formed in the fog's center, along with a jagged green mouth that curled into a wicked grin.

The people in the stands cheered for the two pokemon that were about to battle. The huge flat screens that hung throughout the arena then showed a photo of Raichu on side, with Spiritomb on the other. A lightning bolt sheared the image in half, adding healthbars next to each pokemon's name to indicate that the battle had began.

"Why don't you go first Lucas?" Cynthia called out from her end of the field.

Lucas nodded, "I just might, thank you Champion."

He threw his hand out dramatically, ordering Raichu into action.

"Raichu, use thunderbolt!"

The mouse pokemon rushed forward and jumped into the air. The Spiritomb glared at the electric pokemon as she charged up a powerful thunderbolt.

The Raichu let out a loud squeal, unleashing a torrent of lightning that struck the ground and arced its way to the ghost. The dirt floor of the arena scorched and a trench was left behind as the lightning got closer to its target.

"Dodge it and use shadow ball!" Cynthia ordered.

The Spiritomb quickly shot off to the side. It floated a few centimeters off the ground as the thunderbolt missed. It then formed a dark orb of ghost energy and launched it at Raichu. The mouse's eyes widened as the attack neared her.

"Raichu, dodge it!" Lucas yelled.

The mouse tried to jump out of the way, but was just too slow. She was not hit directly, but the shadow ball exploded in the spot where she was just standing and was still close enough to get blown a short distance by it. Lucas and Harmony winced, but were relieved when Raichu quickly got back to her feet.

 _You okay?_ Harmony asked.

 _I'm fine. Just a scratch._ Raichu replied with a grin.

Harmony looked over at Lucas. " **She's okay.** "

Lucas nodded, then turned his attention back to the fight.

"Raichu, charge down that ghost and use iron tail!"

Raichu didn't waste time. She ran as fast as she could as her tail glowed in a silvery light. Cynthia yelled for her spiritomb to dodge the attack, but the ghost wasn't fast enough. The Forbidden Pokemon was hit hard by Raichu's iron tail and was sent flying backwards. The ghost smacked into the arena's wall and fell to the ground. The rock making up the physical base of the pokemon earned a new crack from the impact, leaving it dazed.

"Now finish off Spiritomb with another thunderbolt!" Lucas cheered.

Raichu squealed again as she fired off another powerful electric attack. The massive bolt of lightning arced from the mouse and to the ghost, electrocuting it and rendering it unconscious. The crowd exploded into a cheer at the result.

Cynthia returned her spiritomb to its ball. She smiled at the young trainer.

"Well done!" She said, "Now it's time for Gastrodon to play!"

She threw another pokeball out, unleashing the Sea Slug Pokemon. It slid across the arena floor to take its position in the center.

" **Watch out, Lucas. Raichu can't hurt Gastrodon with electric.** " Harmony warned.

Lucas nodded, then ordered the mouse into action.

"Use quick attack!" He ordered.

Raichu ran forward, tackling into her opponent. The slug recoiled back from the attack, but quickly recovered. Cynthia then gave her own order.

"Use earthquake!" She called out.

Gastrodon slammed its body onto the ground, causing the arena to shake with an earthquake. The attack sent Raichu rocking into the ground in a daze. Cynthia then had her pokemon finish her off.

"Finish her! Stone edge!"

Raichu struggled to get back up, but was hit by a jagged rock emerging from the ground beneath her at high speeds. She was sent into the air and fell back down. The mouse tried to stand, but collapsed in exhaustion.

Lucas returned Raichu to her ball, thanking her for trying. He then released his Torterra and eventually knocked out the Gastrodon. Cynthia then sent out her Lucario, who in turn defeated the Continent Pokemon. Next up was Eric's Arcanine, who managed to beat the Aura Pokemon. The spectators were on their feet, cheering and chanting loudly to both Lucas and the Champion. The battle had proven to be an intense one thus far.

The young Gabite was growing impatient. He poked Cynthia in the leg with his arm and let out a snort at her. She smiled at the young dragon.

"What's wrong? Wanting to see your Momma fight already?" She asked, receiving a nod from the dragon. She let out a chuckle. "Well I was wanting to make this battle last a little longer, but oh well."

The crowd looked on with anticipation as they watched Cynthia talk to the dragon. They then saw her reach for another pokeball. She tossed it out, releasing her Garchomp. The audience exploded into a cheer seeing the famous pokemon. The announcer came over the speakers.

"Things have just got heated everybody!" He called out into the microphone from his booth. "The Champion has sent out her Garchomp! Will Lucas be able to overcome the nearly unstoppable Mach Pokemon?"

Lucas felt a bead of sweat run down his neck. It's true, her garchomp has never been beaten in a proper match. He gritted his teeth and remained confident though. Harmony laid her hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

" **Just concentrate, love. We got this.** " She told him. Arcanine looked back at him and barked in reassurance as well. Lucas smiled and nodded.

"Alright, let's do it." He said.

Minutes passed, and Lucas's eye slightly twitched after seeing the Champion's dragon go on and knock out every pokemon he had. Arcanine seemed to be the only one who stood any chance, but even he was defeated fairly easily. After Arcanine was beaten, he sent out Bronzong, then Toxicroak. Both of them were dispatched with relative ease by their experienced opponent. Every time one of Lucas's pokemon was knocked out, the Gabite would jump around excitedly and cheer for his mother. Harmony found it cute.

" **Well you're down to just me it looks like.** " Harmony said.

"No Harmony, I'll forfeit the match. I don't want you to get hurt." He replied, not wanting to use her in battle.

" **And waste everything we worked for? No, I want to battle. Besides, Dad is watching, I just know it.** " She replied with a grin. She then floated out onto the field and took a fighting stance in front of Garchomp. Her dress blew in the wind as her body began to glow with psychic energy. The crowd cheered her on. They were ready to see her fight. Celest watched her daughter from the private skybox. She smiled, knowing she was very proud of her. At the same time though, she felt slightly worried for her.

 **Be careful Harmony, that dragon is much more powerful than you probably think.** She thought.

Harmony and Cynthia's Garchomp stood off, waiting for either of their trainers to give a command.

 _You have grown so much since the last time I have seen you. I'm proud to be battling you now._ The Garchomp said to her.

 _It is an honor to battle the undefeated Champion and you. Now, please don't be going easy on me._ Harmony replied.

Garchomp smiled at her, widening her stance. As _you wish._

"Garchomp! Use tack-" Cynthia began her order, but was cut off by the sky lighting up.

It was a somewhat cloudy day, but something cleared the clouds away, revealing the sun. Cynthia looked up, causing Harmony and Lucas to glance up as well. The people in the crowd seemed confused, then looked into the sky. They all saw a portal rip open in the heavens above. It was beautiful. Rings of blue with waves of a rainbow of colors exploding outwards as ribbons of every color were spiraling outwards from the portal's edges. From it, a large pokemon entered the world. Everyone stared in awe at the sight. Very few had ever seen the pokemon that now appeared before them in the sky. The mythical pokemon galloped slowly through the air in circles on its way to the ground. It landed with grace between Harmony and Garchomp.

It had the appearance of a large, white equine. It had a gray underbelly and face. Its legs were tipped in gold hooves. A big cross-like golden ring wrapped around its abdomen and had four green jewels embedded in it. Its eyes were of an emerald green, with deep red pupils glowing against the rest of its beauty. Its presence alone demanded a holy respect to it. The many pokemon that were mixed in with the crowd or acting as security bowed to their creator. Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon, looked slowly around the arena at the thousands in attendance. His gaze then went to the two humans standing on either side of the battlefield. Then, his eyes fell upon the shiny Gardevoir that stood in awe.

" _ **You there.**_ " He said. His voice resonated with power. " ** _I am looking for the one of your kind who is named Celestial._** "

Harmony didn't know how to respond. She was too shocked to come up with any words. She saw Arceus's eyes looking at her. She could feel his gaze into her soul.

 _My Lord. I-I..._ She tried to say something, anything, but had difficulties. The Alpha Pokemon looked at her for another moment.

" _ **I merely wish to speak with her, little one. I can feel her presence here somewhere. I promise you that I have no ill intent, Harmony.**_ " He said, surprising her that he knew her name. Harmony went to respond, but was interrupted by a flash of light on her right.

It was Celest. She had teleported from the skybox to the arena floor. She knelt to the pokemon deity. The crowd still remained silent and could only watch on.

Arceus looked over at the Gardevoir that appeared before him.

" _ **Are you the one who is called Celestial? The mate of the human soldier, Eric Hahn?**_ " He asked.

Celest gasped at the mention of Eric's name. She looked up at him briefly, but bowed her head again as she didn't feel worthy of being in his presence.

 _Yes, Lord Arceus. I am Celestial._ She said humbly.

Arceus tilted his head to the side.

" ** _Hmm._** " He began. " _ **There is no need for such formalities, Celestial. My given name is the only honor that I require. No need for kneeling before me.**_ "

Celest rose to her feet, finally looking up into Arceus's face. She locked eyes with his holy gaze.

 _Yes, Arceus...May I ask what you require of me?_ She now asked of their creator.

Arceus looked at her in silence for several moments, then he spoke.

" _ **I have seen your struggles in life. I have played back every tragedy that has befallen you in the years you have existed, in mere seconds.**_ " He began. " _ **I have also seen your mate's life. Every second of his very being. All the way to the events at the Spear Pillar. I even watched those events unfold in person from my seat at the Hall of Origins.**_ "

Celest looked into the Alpha Pokemon's eyes. He replayed in her head the moments of Eric's death. It brought her to tears once more. **Why is He showing me this?** She asked herself as she fought the urge to cry.

" _ **I am showing you these memories because I have spoken to the human Eric Hahn.**_ " He said, reading her mind.

Celest's eyes widened. **How?** She thought.

Arceus looked to the sky for a moment, then back down at the Gardevoir before him.

" _ **When his spirit was released from his mortal form, I grabbed it from the Ghost World. We have been speaking of his deeds, and yours, ever since.**_ " He paused for a moment. " ** _We have been watching over you and your adoptive daughter for over the past year._** "

Celest felt a tear roll down her cheek. Her hands were clenched over her chest, feeling her heart beat increase.

 _Why are you here Arceus? What do you need from me?_ She asked. She felt her anxiety rise.

The god-like pokemon looked at her for several unspoken moments. It was dead silent in the stadium.

" _ **I am here to tell you that your suffering is at an end.**_ " He said with his voice resonating in the arena and in the heads of everyone there. " _ **I have witnessed the love you and your human shared. His love for you was so great, that he was willing to end his own mortal life to ensure that yours would go on.**_ "

A portal of white light opened beside Arceus. It was blinding to anyone who dared to stare into it. Its edges faded into a rainbow of colors as Arceus continued.

" _ **Eric Hahn's sacrifice, and his love for you and Harmony, will not go unrewarded. You and him deserve not to be torn apart by even death itself.**_ "

With those words, a shadow appeared in the portal's center. It took shape as a humanoid. The shadow began walking, then exited the portal into the world. Once outside of the portal's bright and holy light, the human was revealed.

Almost as youthful as the day Celest and him met, Eric's two feet stepped onto the ground of the living once more. He was dressed in a clean military uniform. A large, warm smile spread across his face as he opened his arms to Celest.

"Celest...I'm home." Eric said.

Celest covered her mouth with both hands as tears left her eyes. Harmony couldn't contain her emotions as she broke down into a fit of joyous tears. They both floated at high speeds and nearly tackled the human to the ground in the tightest of embraces. Eric held on to both of them and twirled around as the three all shed tears of joy. Cynthia stood in her spot. She couldn't be happier to see Eric once again. The soldier held on tight to both Gardevoir.

"I'm home, my love." Eric said softly to Celest. He then turned and kissed Harmony on the top of her head as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Daddy's home."

Harmony let go of Eric and took a few steps back. She was joyfully sobbing and wiping the tears from her eyes. She smiled at her parents as they continued to hold onto each other. Celest pulled away, but the two mates still held on to each other by the shoulders. Celest and Eric locked eyes. She looked into his cool, blue-colored eyes as he lost himself in her crimson rubies. Both had lines of tears running down their cheeks as they smiled warmly at each other. Her eyes then drifted downwards to the shiny new prosthetic leg her mate was sporting. The Gardevoir giggled slightly; the light sounds of chiming bells rang like music in Eric's ears and made him grin wider. Celest lightly prodded the fake leg with her own foot.

" **Didn't ask for your leg back?** " She asked with a cute smile.

Eric thought for a split moment, then responded.

"I guess I could have, but the prosthetic is part of who I am now."

Celest looked back at him and cupped the side of Eric's face. " **But, do you not miss being complete?** "

The soldier shook his head, then leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"I don't need two legs to be complete in life. I have you and Harmony, and you two are all I need to feel complete."

Eric then reached up, gently running his fingers against her cheek as she did the same. They then brought their lips together into a deep kiss. Celest melted into Eric's arms; her eyes closing as the kiss deepened more. The couple held their lips tightly together in love as the crowd looked on.

Many were moved. Thousands of watery eyes watched as the pair embraced each other once again. Once the couple kissed, a joyous cheer erupted amongst the spectators.

"Welcome home! Welcome home!" The thousands chanted to Eric as he parted the kiss and smiled at Celest. She grinned back at him, still wiping away her tears. The two then looked back towards the pokemon deity. Eric bowed his head to the Alpha Pokemon.

"Thank you, Arceus." Eric humbly said. "I cannot be more grateful."

Arceus nodded, then said. " _ **There is no need to thank me, courageous soldier...For there is one more thing that I must do.**_ "

Eric gave a quizzical look at him. Celest wrapped her arms around Eric's arm and looked up at Arceus as well.

"What is that, Lord?" Eric asked.

Arceus nodded towards the still-open white portal.

" _ **There is still one more gift that I have for you. You have earned your peace, but so have your lost companions.**_ "

Eric choked up at those words. **What? It can't be...** He thought as tears once again collected in his eyes. He looked towards the portal.

Two more shadows took shape within the blazing white light. One was wide and stocky. The other was long and serpentine. The two beings left the portal. It was Eric's Gyarados and Garchomp. The two resurrected pokemon both let out a roar that shook the stadium. Eric pulled away from Celest and walked towards his two pokemon. His knees wobbled as he looked at the pokemon who both gave their lives for him before. He was so happy to see them again.

Eric sprinted across the dirt ground towards the two pokemon. Steadfast let out an excited noise and shot towards him, tackling the soldier in a tight hug. Eric laughed and hugged the dragon back as he cried tears of joy. Steadfast then let Eric up, who then went over to Gyarados. The large serpent lowered his head as Eric grabbed him as best as he could in an embrace.

"Gyarados...I'm so happy to have you back." Eric said as Gyarados nuzzled him. The water dragon let out a low and happy rumbling noise.

The crowd went into an even bigger cheer for Eric, though it was as like he couldn't even hear them. He was just so happy. He was back in the land of the living to be with his love, but he also had gotten back his two lost pokemon. On Lucas's belt, two of his pokeballs opened. Arcanine and Raichu had recovered just enough to regain consciousness and felt their old master was back. They emerged in hazes of light and wasted no time in piling onto Eric in their own embrace. He held them both as best as he could; followed by the rest of his Pokemon, including Harmony and Celest, joining in the group hug.

Arceus watched the human soldier and his pokemon. He felt satisfied with the situation. The Alpha Pokemon could feel the pure and joyous emotions coming from the human and his mate, Celest. When Eric made the choice to sacrifice himself to save her, Arceus was moved by it. He played back the human's life and saw how he always tried his best to protect those around him. The fact that he was willing to give up his own life to make sure his mate's would go on, made Eric Hahn worthy.

The family was still shedding tears when Arceus turned and looked back into the sky. He then lifted into the air, having completed what he came do to. The Alpha Pokemon flew upwards into the heavens as everyone in the stadium watched in awe the same way they did when he came. Eric, Celest, Harmony and the others all smiled and wiped away the tears as they all thanked him for the gift he gave them. The pokemon deity then disappeared in a brilliant white portal, leaving the dimension for his own.

* * *

 **Thanks again to everyone who read this story and for supporting me in writing this! It truly was an adventure for me and I hope everyone got some form of entertainment from it! For those of you who may be interested, please keep an eye on my profile in the coming weeks. I am planning out another possible story that will take place in the Pokemon universe, but in a post-apocalyptic world inspired by a great author on this site. He goes by XelYel and is writing a story called 'Another Nameless World'. Though the two stories probably won't take place in the same universe, the idea I have for the setting is very similar.**

 **I am still planning things out to see if it would be interesting or long enough of an idea to write. It probably wouldn't be as long as A Soldier and His Gardevoir, but I'd want it to still be long enough to warrant writing. It would, like this story, contain a human/pokemon relationship and be darker in tone. (It would be taking place in a post-apocalyptic, humans and pokemon hate each other world.) So yeah, keep an eye on my profile for the next couple weeks if you think you might be interested in another story written by me. Peace!**


	22. Epilogue

**Hey guys! I wanted to add this small section as a send off to this story. The last chapter is still the end, but I had numerous requests to add just one more. So here we are, with this ONE last short chapter, lol! This will absolutely complete this story, but it may be leading into a side story...one that has been requested many times by you, the readers! Enjoy!**

 **Epilogue:**

 **Two weeks after Eric's return:**

It was a beautiful day. The clouds partially covered the sky, and the temperature outside was perfect. It was on this day years ago that Eric and Celest had met on Iron Island. What had been a day full of horror had a ray of light shine through with their meeting. The human and pokemon may have not known at the time that they would fall in love, but today was a day that would forever forge that love into something more than they ever dreamed of.

The church bells rang out. The old bronze bells sounded their beautiful rings to signify the special event of the day. Within the grand hall of the church, Eric stood and waited. He was fully dressed in his fresh and cleaned military dress uniform. It now sported the golden ranks of sergeant on his shoulders and the Medal of Valor was displayed proudly on his chest along with his other ribbons and medals. He was nervous. He knew this is what he wanted beyond anything else, but he couldn't help but feel a little nervous regardless.

He stood with his hands clasped and fidgeting in front of him. To his right was an altar and a military chaplain. The chaplain noticed Eric's fidgeting and leaned over to whisper to him.

"It is quite alright Sergeant. I know how you feel, I was like yourself on my wedding day." The older man said with a smile.

Eric nodded, "I'm fine sir, I'm more excited than anything I think."

The chaplain patted Eric on the shoulder, then went back to facing straight forward. Eric looked out into the crowd. There was a number of people he did not know, but had shown up to give their support. The soldier was quite fine with that. In the front few rows was Eric's extended family. He hadn't seen almost all of them in years, especially since he and his parents left Unova. Some of them had looks of unease. One or two had looks of disgust. He remembered that human/pokemon relationships was still illegal in Unova, so it was natural that the idea was still foreign to them. There were still some that were against it here in Sinnoh.

In the very front row sat Mary, Eric's mother. She smiled at him and had the signs of a tear rolling down her cheek. She has happy for him no matter what. Next to her was Harmony and Lucas. The Gardevoir smiled widely at her father. It brought her great joy to know that her parents were finally being bound in matrimony. She tightly held Lucas's hand. The boy also flashed a smile at the soldier as his eyes drifted over him. Eric thought about Lucas for a split second. It had been several years since he had first met the boy, and it surprised him that he was the boy Harmony would come to be with. Lucas treated her right though, and that was all Eric could ask for.

Another moment passed, and then the piano started chiming its song. Everyone in the church stood and turned to face the center aisle. Eric's heart rate increased. The pair of large wooden doors at the front of the church began to open.

 **This is it.** Eric thought. Many emotions ran through him. Joy was biggest of those he felt.

The large church doors creaked as they swung around. In the bright light that spilled into the building, stood Celest. She had mega evolved for the occasion and was wearing the huge, bellowing white dress that was common for Mega Gardevoir. On her head she wore a transparent veil that obscured her face. She held a large bouquet of flowers as she paused in the doorway. She looked forward at the altar, and could already feel strong joyous emotions coming from the human soldier she was in love with. The emotions made her heart burn more with love and made it glow slightly. She started walking forward with the eyes of everyone there on her. All the staring eyes made Celest feel somewhat uncomfortable, but she ignored it and only looked at her love.

When she made it up to Eric, she stood across from him and the altar's left. The soldier reached out and parted the veil covering her face. He lifted it over her head and revealed her ruby-colored eyes. They were glimmering and had tear collecting in them. Using one hand, he wiped the tears away, making her smile wider.

"Celestial, you're so beautiful...the most stunning sight I've ever seen. Why are you teary though?" He asked quietly, smiling back at her.

" **I have dreamed of this moment. I always wanted to be bonded to you in marriage.** " She replied. " **Now we're about to be...and I couldn't be happier.** "

Eric chuckled lightly and leaned forward to kiss her. She placed one finger against his lips and pushed him back lightly. He gave her a confused look for a split moment, then remembered.

" **Not yet, silly.** " Celest said with a silent giggle.

The people in the building were then seated, and the ceremony began. It was a typical wedding, something that Celest wanted. She didn't want anything extraordinary, just a beautiful and simple ceremony like the ones she had read and heard about. After the vows and exchanges of rings was completed, the chaplain looked from the groom to the bride. He smiled warmly at the two and paused.

"Celestial and Eric, you have expressed your love to one another through the commitment and promises you have just made. It is with these in mind that I pronounce you husband and wife." He said.

Eric and Celest stared longingly in each other's eyes. They could barely hear the words of the chaplain over the intense feelings they were telepathically sharing.

"You have kissed a thousand times, maybe more." The chaplain continued.

The couple reached out and grabbed each other's hands.

"But today the feeling is new."

Eric squeezed her hand. She squeezed it back.

"No longer simply partners and best friends, you have become husband and wife and can now seal the agreement with a kiss. Today, that kiss is a promise."

Everyone looked on in anticipation. Harmony tightly gripped Lucas's hand. Mary watched her son with pure joy. The chaplain looked at Eric and gave a large grin.

"Sergeant Eric Hahn, you may kiss your bride."

Eric, without hesitation, pulled Celest in. Wrapping their arms around each other, they joined their lips together in love and matrimony. Confetti exploded into the air and the people in the pews cheered, whistled and clapped for the newly married couple. The kiss lasted almost an entire minute. Celest had melted into her what is now her husband's arms. Both of their eyes were closed as the kiss deepened.

Finally, their lips separated and they pulled from their embrace. They held hands and turned to face the crowd as the chaplain spoke up once more. Both of them had large grins and tears of joy in their eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The chaplain called out, waving to the couple as they started walking back down the aisle hand in hand. "It is my privilege to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Celestial Hahn!"

 **Later that night:**

Like in the traditions of old, Eric carried his bride to their room. They were given the most luxurious room in the grandest hotel of Jubilife City for the night. Once in the room, Eric kicked the door closed and Celest floated out of his arms and stood next to him. She wasted no time in removing the veil from her head and pulling in Eric for a kiss. They kissed fervently and helped to remove each other's clothing.

Once the two were undressed, Eric lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They continued the lip-lock as he carried her over to their bed. He playfully dropped her onto it and crawled on top of her; his hands exploring every inch of her smooth and petite, yet voluptuous figure. Celest let a few soft bell-like moans escape her mouth as her own hands explored his body as if for the first time. Her pelvis gently pressed into his in a display of wanting. Eric locked eyes with his wife and chuckled.

"So I guess it's definitely that time of the year for you huh?" He said with a sly grin. Celest ground her pelvis against his again, letting out an audible giggle and nodded.

" **Yes it is...now how about you make love to your new wife?** " She replied with a lascivious smile.

Eric kissed her again on the lips.

"Of course, my dearest love." He said quietly, pulling her close.

 **A few days later:**

Eric was still sound asleep. He dreamt he was in a vast field of cut grass. Beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere around him. He enjoyed the view and the feeling of the cool breeze against him. After a few moments, a voice cut through the air and into his ears. It was the Alpha Pokemon.

" ** _Eric Hahn. It is Arceus._** " The deity said.

Eric rose one eyebrow in confusion, then looked around for the pokemon. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Arceus? Lord, where are you?" He asked.

The voice resonated in his head again. " ** _I am everywhere, and nowhere. Eric Hahn, there was one last gift I have to bestow upon you and your mate._** "

Eric's heart felt as if it fluttered.

"What would that be my lord?" He asked to the Alpha Pokemon.

Silence permeated the field of flowers for several moments. Eric thought that Arceus was gone, but then his voice came back.

" ** _I have removed the biological barriers between you and your mate, Celestial._** " He said as Eric could feel he was about to awaken. " ** _May your love for each other truly blossom into something great._** "

As Eric was about to awaken, the last image he saw from his dream was that of a Ralts. The image confused him further as the field around him swirled into black.

In the awake world, Celest was in the bathroom of their home. She felt sick, again. The last day or so, she's felt nauseous at times. She had no idea why though. She thought back to everything she had ate in the last few days. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. She knelt in front of the toilet as another wave of a nausea hit her. She heaved, but nothing came out.

 **What could be causing this?** She thought to herself.

Then, one of her hands went to her stomach as she heaved once more. When she lurched to try to vomit, her hand felt something hard in her gut. Her eyes widened and she sprung to her feet. She felt the spot again, this time with both hands. There. There it is again. That hard lump in her lower gut. **No...it couldn't be...an egg? How?**

About that time, Eric slowly opened the bathroom door after waking up and hearing her getting sick. He walked into the bathroom to see his wife with her eyes wide open and her hands resting on her stomach.

"Hun? What's wrong?" He asked her.

She looked at him and shook her head.

" **I...don't know.** " She said. Her brain was in a panic. Even after his death, she never mated with anyone. Yet, now here she was, having to come up with a way to tell him that she has an egg in her.

"Celest, what's wrong? Please tell me." Eric asked again, walking over to her.

He went to take her hands in his own, but she instead took his hands and placed them on her stomach. She looked at him with a slight sense of worry. He felt her gut and touched something hard inside her. His eyes widened, then the same image of the Ralts that he saw in his dream entered his head again. He then smiled widely at her. The smile confused her for a moment, then she read his mind and saw him replay the dream he had in his thoughts.

Celest realized what this meant. The gift Arceus referred to was a biological child of their own. He removed the genetic and biological barriers between their species so that they may conceive. The couple embraced each other, huge smiles covering their faces. When they separated from their hug, Eric felt the egg in her gut once more. Neither of them could be happier.

"I can't wait for us to tell Harmony." He said, almost laughing with joy. He looked back up at her. She couldn't stop smiling at him.

" **She'll be coming over later today with Lucas, she said.** " Celest replied. She then thought about her adoptive daughter, then added. " **Do you think Harmony might feel jealousy or resentment towards this baby since she was adopted?** "

Eric immediately shook his head, kissing her on the forehead in reassurance.

"Of course she won't. She is still our daughter. Biological or not, she's ours. Nothing can change that." He said, earning a return of her usual smile.

The couple left the bathroom and began to get ready for the day. As Eric cleaned their home and Celest prepared breakfast, the soldier asked his wife.

"So you said that Harmony is bringing Lucas over?" He asked. Celest nodded without looking at him, concentrated more on cooking. He then asked, "So how did Lucas and her get together anyways? I was dead at the time you know."

Celest turned and looked at her love. She giggled and responded. The bell-like sound of her giggle still sounded angelic to Eric.

" **How did Harmony and Lucas get together?** " She said. " **That's a whole other story.** "

* * *

 **That is it for this story, and now it's time to move on to greener pastures! Please keep an eye on my profile. In the next few weeks, there will be not one but two new stories! One will be the story that I described in the last chapter, and the other will be a short story about how Harmony and Lucas came to be a couple. So stay tuned for my new stories! Peace!**

 **Coming soon:**

 **"The Soldier's Daughter"**

 **"Broken Lands"**


	23. NOTICE

**This is just an update for my readers and those who enjoyed this story. This is not a chapter update for this story, but instead just a notification to let you all know that the first chapter for my new story, 'Broken Lands', is now up! So go please check it out and leave a nice review letting me know what you think! Peace!**

 **\- Garrett Rawson (gsrawson)**


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